If you have been scrapbooking or cardmaking for a while, it is no doubt that you have heard of Un-Du Adhesive Remover. And it is also my guess that many of you veteran scrapbookers have wanted to try it, but have been reluctant. After all, the claim to fame is that dousing your precious photos in this liquid (which the packaging, by the way, says is “flammable”) will not harm your papers or photos. In fact, Un-Du Adhesive Remover claims that after you use it, you can even RE-STICK whatever you just “un-stuck”.
But some papercraft artists, like the folks over at Creek Bank Creations, regularly use Un-Du Adhesive Remover BEFORE they adhere their sticky things to scrapbook pages and cards. What a genius idea! With a little bit of Un-Du, the stickiness of strong adhesive temporarily “disappears”, giving you time to place once-sticky embellishments, die cuts, photos, borders, or letters exactly where you want them. In a few seconds, it will “become sticky again” and will live forever on your project perfectly in place. Seriously, genius.
I just couldn’t believe that a chemical product could do that. I certainly couldn’t believe that a chemical product wouldn’t damage my photos or papers. So, I broke down and bought some to give it my OWN test.
First of all, it was harder than I thought it would be to find in a physical brick and mortar store. Buying online is the easiest, and the cost ends up to be the same (substitute drive time, crazy gas prices and even crazier traffic with shipping costs). The best price I found for Un-Du Adhesive Remover is on Scrapbook.com HERE:
UN-DU Adhesive Remover – 4oz Bottle
Secondly, how much time did I actually have to play around with my “un-sticky” embellishment before it became sticky again? And did that even happen? Did Un-Du Adhesive Remover really have the ability to take away stickiness long enough for my own indecision of an eighth-of-an-inch left or right of a die-cut title on a scrapbook page?
Guess what? IT WORKS! I couldn’t believe it!
For my time test, I first used the stickiest adhesive possible, Super Tacky Tape from Creek Bank Creations. It is double-sided and comes in a 6″ x 27 YARD roll. Then, I used letter stickers from Creative Memories. They are thin but reasonably sticky, and they have incredible staying power year after year. I experimented by putting the Un-Du first on the sticky item and timing the “un-stickiness”. I also experimented by putting the Un-Du first on the surface itself (regular #110 cardstock).
Both methods gave me plenty of positioning time before the items became “slightly sticky” again. The Super Tacky Tape die cut shape saturated with Un-Du allowed for about 37 seconds of positioning time. The letter sticker with an Un-Du saturated cardstock surface allowed for longer, almost two minutes of positioning time. I’m sure the adhesive variety and the tackiness of the adhesive itself made the difference in the positioning time.
I was pleasantly surprised with Un-Du Adhesive Remover, especially in the fact that the liquid left no watermark or residue on the sticker, die cut or surface paper.
Watch my demonstration video HERE:
In conclusion, I am fully convinced of the effectiveness of Un-Du Adhesive Remover (please note that while I am affiliated with a few companies that sell Un-Du, I am not affiliated with Un-Du Adhesive Remover itself. I just really like this product!). Give this product your own “time test” and see for yourself how easy it is to avoid “sticky mistakes” in your papercrafting!
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