Would you like to know how to glue fabric to wood? Check this post to know the practical answer with step-by-step guidelines.
You have to attach fabric and wood for making many crafts and furniture. But, if you don’t know the proper process of attaching fabric to wood with glue, you’ll find it a little bit difficult and messy. Even you won’t be satisfied with your final result.
Don’t worry, my friend. Here I’m to help you. As a DIY enthusiast, I had to handle many projects like this. That time I had learned and practiced how to adhere fabric to wood.
First, you have to prepare your wood and fabric. Now use Mod Podge fabric to wood, place the fabric over the wood and remove wrinkles with a brayer or your hand. Wait 20-30 minutes to dry the glue and get ready to use.
Here’s more to know. Give me 2 minutes, and I’ll demonstrate all the steps in detail with my project’s picture.
When you’re planning to do any DIY job, first, you have to arrange the tools and know the strategy. However, before arranging the essential tools, it’s more important to know the suitable fabric glue to wood.
In the market, you will find a lot of glue for fabric. But all those basic fabric glues are not appropriate for wood and fabric bonding. Wood and fabric attachment needs water-based glue and takes a little bit extra time to dry. Because the porous surface of wood instantly dries the regular fabric glue. As a result, the bond will be less intense and durable.
The mod podge is the best glue to offer you a permanent bond between fabric and wood. And you can easily use the glue with a paint brush.
The best part of mod podge glue is it comes in a large container. So one container is enough to manage a large project or multiple small projects.
But, what to do if you don’t have mod podge glue right now. And you don’t want to spend any bucks.
There is also an alternative option. You can make your homemade mod podge glue. Check this article to learn how to make mod podge glue.
After collecting mod podge glue or mod podge alternative, now it’s time to arrange the tools.
The things you need
- Any fabric but cotton will be best
- Wood
- Mod podge glue
- A paint brush
- A Brayer
- Scissors
- Fine grit sandpaper
- Microfiber cloth
Most of the woods have a rough and bumpy surface, and the uneven surface will weaken the bond. That’s why you have to make the surface smooth before applying the glue. You need to sand the wood with 100-200 grit sandpaper to eliminate the wood bumpiness. The more you sand the wood, the more even and smooth the surface will be.
You should run the sandpaper forward and backward on the wood to remove the uneven and rough texture. Run the sandpaper around the wood and check whether it is ok or you need to sand it more.
You’ll notice there is a lot of dry dirt and dust on the wood after sanding. Here, you’ve to clean the dry air and sand dust from the wood.
Pick a microfiber cloth and damp it into water. Squeeze the cloth to remove excess water and wipe the wood with the cloth. If there is too much dust, you may need to wipe the wood several times.
Here’s one tip for you, don’t wet the microfiber cloth excessively, as it’ll make the wood too damp. So, you have to wait a long time to dry it.
After wiping, the wood will become slightly wet. You have to keep it resting for 1-2 hours to dry it. However, the time may vary depending on your wood thickness and the weather condition. If the weather is hot, it takes less time, and if the weather is cold, it takes more time.
You can’t go to the next step unless the wood dries. Because the glue will run and not stick over the wood surface if it is too wet.
Now, you should prepare the fabric by measuring and cutting. There are two options to measure your fabric.
The first option is to take a measurement tape, measure the wood and note it down in a notebook. Now, measure the fabric according to the wood size and cut the extra fabric with scissors.
The second option is to spread the fabric over the wood. When spreading, ensure there is no wrinkle because if there are wrinkles, you don’t get the right size of the fabric. Now, mark all the positions of the fabric with a pencil. Then, remove the fabric and cut it following the pencil marks.
I suggest you keep one inch extra when cutting the fabric. So that, if you make any mistake during measurement, you can cover it with the additional fabric.
Now, your wood and fabric both are prepared for gluing. Pick the foam paintbrush, dump it into the mod podge, press the brush with the mod podge container to remove the extra glue. Next, paint the brush evenly over the wood. So, all the spaces get enough glue to make a permanent and robust bond.
You should paint the glue as quickly as possible and from the outside edges to the middle. Because the glue will dry fast, and by following this strategy, you’ll get enough time to apply the fabric over the gluing wood.
It’s the most crucial step of this job. After mod podge application, lay your desired fabric over the wood. If you left any extra fabric, keep it outside the wood.
After laying:
- Press the fabric gently with your palm or a brayer to make it even and remove wrinkles (if there are any).
- When you are sure there is no wrinkle, press it with more pressure to attach the fabric to the wood.
- If needed, apply extra mod podge to the corners to strengthen the bond.
You have to let them dry overnight or at least 5-6 hours to get the maximum bond between them. After overnight, check the durability of the attachment by pulling one or two corners of the fabric. If you find the corners won’t adhere, you can reapply the glue and wait longer.
But, I hope if you follow the steps accurately, the fabric won’t come towards you when you pull.
Finally, you have reached the last steps of the job. After drying the mod podge, you’ll get the most secure and permanent adhesion between them. Now, trim off the excess fabric with the scissors that you leave while gluing.
You may have to decoupage fabric in your wood furniture to make it more decorative. It’s easy to use glue on your furniture, and it also creates fast, efficient, and durable bonds. So that you can use the furniture year after year. Most interestingly, when using glue, you don’t need to tear the furniture and fabric by stapling or nailing.
- First, gather the fabric, glue, furniture, sandpaper, and scissors. Measure the fabric and cut it depending on your requirements.
- Sand the furniture to make its surface smooth, clean the dust, and apply an even layer of glue where you want to attach the fabric. After that, let dry the runny glue for 3 minutes.
- Hold your fabric one end and attach the other end to the furniture. After laying the whole fabric, press the entire surface to make it even and remove wrinkles.
- Now, it’s time to wait for at least 10-12 hours to let it dry and get a long-lasting bond. After drying, trim off the overhanging fabric from all sides.
By following this simple guideline, you can adhere fabric to your chair, countertop, tabletop, etc.
Mod podge will offer you a permanent bond between wood to fabric, though you attach it incorrectly. But, sometimes, you need to temporarily attach fabric and wood instead of a permanent bond for your small projects. In that case, you have to think of alternative options that are really worthy of temporary bonds. Here are some options for you
The hot glue gun is one of the easiest and fastest ways to attach the fabric to wood temporarily. Hot glue is not as sticky as mod podge, and you can rub alcohol on the surface to remove the attachment. However, the hot glue won’t damage your wood.
Using Double-sided tape is another way to bond fabric and wood temporarily. First, you have to pull off and apply it to your wood and fabric. As you want to temporarily bond, you shouldn’t keep the tape sticking for a long time.
The longer you attach the tape, the stronger the bond will be. As a result, you find it difficult to remove. Even after removing the tape, there will be a sticky residue over the fabric and wood surface.
The third option is using velcro, and it’s simple to use. However, you can change the fabric and wood while you use them. You have to attach the hooked end to your furniture surface and the looped end to the fabric. The velcro will lose its adhesion capacity if you frequently change the surface.
Using double tape, velcro, nails, staplers are the best options to attach the fabric to wood without glue. You can use any one among them based on your projects,
Yes, wood glue works on fabric. But it doesn’t offer too strong bonds. However, the wood glue is mostly permanently attached to plant-based fabric, including cotton, rayon, and linen. It also bonds synthetic fabrics like polyester, which is made from plastic.
Wood glue is made for woodworking projects and is also attached to fabrics. You can choose Elmer’s wood glue for attaching wood and fabrics.
The Gorilla company produces different types of glue for different purposes. If your target is to attach fabric and wood, Gorilla suggests you use gorilla glue that is designed for fabrics to serve this purpose because another glue is not ideal for this.
Using Gorilla fabric glue for wood isn’t easy for beginners like Mod Podge. But, as it comes in small sizes, you can collect it by investing a smaller amount. And it is excellent for small projects.
Finally, I’ve reached the ending note of my discussion; how to attach the fabric to wood. You shouldn’t hurry while dealing with glue, fabric, and wood. Because it’s the place to show your creativity, and it needs some patience and practice to progress.
However, if you make a mess, don’t panic. Use a few acetone acid or alcohol drops to remove the glue from the surface. If you have any health issues like allergies, Asthma, etc., don’t forget to wear hand gloves and a face mask, and ventilate the room before starting your work.
Happy crafting!