The gun is on the table. It’s smoldering. People in my house are anxious but know better than to stand between me and my glue gun.
I pull the trigger and shoot. At the moment my target is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my 13-year-old daughter. I guess, if your mother ever starts to make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and plugs in a glue gun, you have reason to be nervous, or suspect she’s gone glue-gun gonzo, or both.
The gun-sandwich incident started when my daughter mentioned she was invited to a Halloween costume party. The prize for best costume? An iPod Nano.
“Holy smokes!” I said. “When I was a kid the best costume prize was a bag of candy corn.” She rolled her eyes to let me know that was before the dinosaurs, then said, “I think I’ll be a witch.”
“Witches don’t win costume contests,” I said, getting, OK, a little competitive. “People who win costume contests come as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
“That’s what I’ll be!” she exclaimed.
Suddenly, the witch costume sounded pretty good, but thanks to me and my fat mouth, the black cat was out of the trick-or-treat bag.
As a public service, I don’t own a sewing machine. To compensate, however, I am a glue gun sharpshooter.
Armed with a glue gun, I turn into a domestic superhero. I can stick trim on pillows and lampshades, attach fringe to upholstered chairs and table skirts, reattach peeling wallpaper, doll up plain window shades, cement centerpieces to windy outdoor tables, create dried-flower arrangements, make napkin rings out of fabric-covered cardboard, upholster walls and make drapes.
Beyond home decor, I can also use a glue gun to seal envelopes without leaving any DNA, put a bow on my sandals or the dog’s head, secure someone’s toupee, fix a hem and quite possibly attach false eyelashes, though I’ve never tried.
Still, I have a long way to go to become Glue Gun Queen. That title goes to Marian McEvoy, author of “Glue Gun Decor” (Harry N. Abrams Books, 2005).
I once spent a day with McEvoy for a story I was writing. At the time, she was the editor of Elle Decor, and before that she ran House Beautiful. We spent part of that day at her chic New York City apartment, which she’d decorated in red, black and white. The really memorable part was that she’d covered every wall with a solid crust of white seashells. She’d glue-gunned the shells on. As we talked, we’d occasionally hear a small clack, like the sinking sound your earring makes when it hits the drain, only these were shells plinking on her wood floor.
“That’s why I have a glue gun going in every room at all times,” she said, as if that were the most normal thing in the world. Now I understand.
On costume party day, I zoom to Michael’s for two, 30-inch square slices of foam; grape purple and peanut brown tissue; tan felt (for crust); and ribbon to tie the sandwich sign around my daughter’s neck. Back home, I aim and shoot. My daughter, now a brown belt in glue- gun acrobatics, assists.
“Is this going to hold?” she asks.
“Honey, what do you think holds this house together?”
She tried on the sandwich. “Hot dang!” I say, reveling in the instant satisfaction that a glue gun can bring.
Suddenly, my daughter gets a horrified look on her face.
“You’re not going to write about this, are you?”
I give her a crafty smile. “Not if you give me the iPod,” I say.
She wins the contest and keeps the iPod.
So here’s the story.
Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of “The House Always Wins” (Da Capo). Contact her through .
Gunning for greatness
Beyond making no-sew Halloween costumes, here are some other glue-gun decorating ideas and tips from Marian McEvoy.
Imagine the possibilities. Use a glue gun to embellish walls, ceilings, furniture, frames, window coverings, lampshades, pillows, upholstery, flowerpots and more with fabric, trim, appliques, shells and leaves.
Think tailored, not tacky. Glue-gunned stuff can look cheesy. To avoid looking like a glue-gun amateur, plan, cut precisely and glue with care.
Use cool tools with hot glue. Get a glue gun that lets you change nozzles, glue flow and temperature. Use professional stainless scissors, sharp manicure scissors and razor blades to make clean cuts. McEvoy swears by Aleene’s Stop Fraying to finish fabric edges. A soft toothbrush and tweezers can whisk away spider web strands and excess glue.
Rough beats slick. The best materials are a little porous or rough. Metal and mirrors don’t work well. Thick fabrics (velvet) work better than thin (sheer) ones. Surfaces have to be clean.
Find steals. Rummage through fabric store remnant bins, eBay, flea markets and garage sales for unique ribbons, trims and crewel fabrics. Turn to nature for pebbles, feathers, shells, seeds and leaves.
Wash and wear. For clothes, curtains or bedding, use washable glue sticks for fabric, available at most craft stores.
Strike while it’s hot. Work in small sections because glue hardens in a few seconds. If glue dries too fast or lands where it shouldn’t, let it cool completely, then peel it off.
Still think it’s tacky? Check out the images at chriskendall . Look under “Portfolio,” then “Glue Gun Decor.”
