How to Dry Glitter Glue Fast

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 29, 2019

Glitter glue is fun to use in home crafts and DIY projects, whether you use it for spelling out your name or for creating cool, sparkly designs. However, anyone who uses glitter glue knows that waiting for it to dry can be a pain. Sometimes you may not have the time to wait for your glitter glue project to dry on its own, so you need a method that can help dry glitter glue fast. In that case, you can use a hairdryer, a fan, or the power of the sun to help speed up the drying process.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Drying Glitter Glue with a Hairdryer

1
Plug in a hairdryer and set it to low or medium heat. Find an outlet near the surface where you’ve laid your project, and turn your hairdryer on with the heat setting at low or medium. If the heat setting is turned up too high, it may warp the wet glitter glue, which you don’t want.
2
Hold your hairdryer about ten inches from the surface of your glitter glue. Point the hair dryer at the glitter glue from a distance that’s about the length of your forearm, from your elbow to your wrist. This medium distance between the hairdryer and your glitter glue project helps to make sure that you won’t warp the glue as you dry it.^{[1]
X
Research source}

Advertisement
3
Wave the nozzle of the hairdryer back and forth to dry the glitter glue. Don’t keep the hair dryer still. To help give an even distribution of heat, move the nozzle of the hairdryer back and forth over the surface of your project. Do this for about two to five minutes before testing whether the glue is sufficiently dry.
- To test whether the glue is dry, look at the color. If it’s clear, then your glue has dried.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Drying Glitter Glue with a Fan

1
Secure your project on a surface. When you use a fan to dry glitter glue, you want to make sure that your project won’t blow away before you begin.^{[3]
X
Research source} Use paperweights to weigh down your project on a table. You can also pin up your project on a clothesline with clothespins, or use magnets to stick your project to the side of a refrigerator.
- If you use a large standing fan, hang your project up so that the airflow can hit it directly.
- If you use a fan that can sit on a table, be sure to weigh your project down and point the fan down at your project.
2
Turn the fan on to medium or low. If the airflow is too strong, the air from the fan could smear the glitter glue. Keep the fan speed on medium or low and point it towards your glitter glue project.
3
Wait at least ten minutes. Depending on how much glue you have to dry, you may have to wait up to twenty minutes. Be patient, and check after ten minutes to see whether the glue is dry. If the glue is clear and hard to the touch, you’re all set.
- With this method, you can work on something else while the fan dries your glitter glue. It may take slightly longer than using a hair dryer, but you don’t have to sit holding something and can spend your time doing something else.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Drying Glitter Glue Under the Sun

1
Lay your project on a sunny spot in front of a window. The heat from the sun will help to evaporate the water out of the glue and dry it.^{[4]
X
Research source} Try to find a space that will get continuous sun for at least twenty minutes.
2
Open the window to let the breeze blow on the glitter glue. This will also help the glue to dry more quickly. But only do this if it is dry and breezy out, and make sure to keep the window closed if it the weather is damp or rainy.
3
Wait for twenty minutes. Go and work on something else as you wait for this method to dry the glitter glue. Using the sun to help dry glue takes longer than using a hairdryer or a fan, but it will still help speed up the process.
- When the twenty minutes is up, check if the glue has turned a clear color and is hard and plastic-like to touch.^{[5]
  X
  Research source} If the glue is still wet, let it sit in the sun and breeze for twenty more minutes.

Community Q&A

Question

Does old glitter glue still dry the same as new glitter glue?

Anotheronebitesthesoil

Community Answer

It should, unless the glue has in some way been thinned or thickened, in which case the drying time might be affected.

Warning

Don’t put fabric or paper in the oven. It is not safe to dry your glitter glue project this way, so stick to using a hairdryer, a fan, or the sun.
Be careful with the hairdryer. It can get very hot so don't put it too close.