The Best Ways to Glue Jewels Onto a Chair

Multi-Purpose Adhesive for a Wooden Chair

• Multipurpose adhesive glue is a strong and flexible rubber adhesive. It's similar to but stronger than rubber cement and bonds many types of materials together, including wood, metal, glass, leather, plastic and vinyl. It's durable enough to hold heavy nonporous materials together such as metal to metal or glass to glass, so it securely and permanently bonds glass or plastic jewels to a wooden chair. This self-leveling glue requires 30 minutes to 1 hour to bond the items together, so the jewels might slide on vertical surfaces of the chair until the glue hardens. Place a dot of glue on the jewels and allow it to set up for 15 to 20 minutes before attaching the jewels to the chair. If you don't want to wait that long, use a transparent adhesive tape to hold the jewels in place until dry. Once the glue is dry, it's extremely durable, so the jewels could be difficult to remove at a later time. But since the glue doesn't harden instantly, the jewels can be repositioned if needed. It dries clear, is waterproof, non-flammable and flexible. It should be used in a well-ventilated area due to harmful vapors.

Leather and Suede Specialty Glue

• The characteristics of a leather-covered chair require special consideration to apply jewels with glue. Leather contains natural oils that make it difficult for many glues to bond effectively, especially if the leather surface receives a lot of use. But for decorative purposes only, it's possible to achieve good results with a specialty glue. The label on the glue must state that it is intended for use on leather or suede surfaces. Multipurpose adhesive can also bond jewels to leather but is not the first choice because it requires the leather to be sanded in the exact spot where the glue will be placed. Sanding breaks through the protective oils that occur naturally in leather. If using this method, caution must be taken to ensure the leather chair doesn't get scratched in areas not intended for jewels.

Fabric Glue for an Upholstered Chair

• Fabric is the easiest surface to glue jewels onto, and it's possible to use a variety of glues on a fabric chair. But a high quality fabric glue is the best choice and will last the longest because it has flexibility. Fabric glue can withstand movement each time the chair is used and will not get brittle with age like other glues. Since fabric glue is often intended for clothing items, it has the added benefit of being waterproof. Fabric glue sometimes makes the fabric feel stiff, so don't put it in an area larger than necessary to hold the jewel in place.