With so many glues available on the market, sometimes it is hard to choose the right one. I had heard that Aileen's Tacky Glue is the best glue for just about any paper craft, so I decided to test the theory. After visiting the nearest craft store, I picked up some different kinds of Aileen's glues, as well as some others to compare with. I now had six types of glue to try out, which included:

• Uhu Glue Stick
  
• Scotch Quick Dry Tacky Glue
  
• Elmer's White Glue
  
• Aileen's Original Tacky Glue
  
• Aileen's Quick Dry Tacky Glue
  
• Aileen's Clear Gel Tacky Glue
  

I also used two different types of paper for my experiment; a heavier cardstock (cover weight) quill strip, and lighter (text weight) quill strip.

1. Uhu Glue Stick. Right away, I noticed that the glue stick is tacky, but not tacky enough. I found you almost need the liquidity of the other glues in order to get the right consistency to hold a quill without having to wait until the end of time for it to stick. It worked better on the lighter paper than the heavier one. The stick also proved to be the cleanest form of glue to use. It dries clear… no need to dip your tool into it and get it all over your hands. The bottom line: not enough tack, but if you have patience, a great alternative to wet glue if you're taking a long trip via car or bus.
   
2. Scotch Quick Dry Tacky Glue. This is a great glue to use for making your quills. It tacks quickly, dries even quicker, and does not string. It was okay for putting together projects as well, but I found that it didn't dry as clear as the bottle says it does. If you make a mistake with it while assembling your project, there is a possibility that you'll be able to see the residue on your creation. The bottom line: nice glue to work with, easy to use, but can dry opaque, thus ruining your artwork.
   
3. Elmer's White Glue. An old favorite, and always reliable if you don't have any specialty glue on hand. I found this glue almost too wet for the light paper, and too low a tack for the thicker paper; I had to pin it for nearly five minutes. However, it dries wonderfully clear, and because it is slower drying, it's easier to fix errors, or if you accidentally use too much glue. The bottom line: tried and true if you're in a pinch, but because of the slow drying time, it takes much longer to complete your project.
   
4. Aileen's Original Tacky Glue. A classic for quilling, I tested three types of Aileen’s glue to see if the different types were comparable. The ‘Original’ glue is like regular white glue except about five times more effective. Both papers stick well and quickly, drying time was minimal (about a minute or two) and dries clear and matte. Great for quills as well as assembling projects because of its very strong bond. The glue cleans up easy too. The bottom line: the glue does everything the bottle promises.
   
5. Aileen's Quick Dry Tacky Glue. Again, just as effective as the original glue, but dries twice as quick. After testing both types of paper, I realized you only need about 15-20 seconds for this glue to stick permanently. The pro to this is obvious: you can blaze through projects. The con is that because it sticks so quickly, you tend to get residue stuck on your fingers and transfer it to your work, so it can be pretty messy - but well worth the effort if you use it carefully and are aiming to cut your glue time in half. The bottom line: very effective glue, but it does tend to dry too quickly for quilling and can be messy.
   
6. Aileen's Clear Gel Tacky Glue. This glue is as good as the rest of the Aileen’s line; its claim to fame would definitely be that it dries nearly invisible! Fantastic for assembling projects because even if you smothered it with glue, once it dries you can't see it. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the exact same tackiness as the white glues, and I found it to be not as good for making quills quickly. Its stickiness resembles more the basic white glue than the other Aileen’s products. The bottom line: the best glue for assembling projects, bar none. Leaves something to be desired when it comes to making quills.
   

After testing out the different glues, I ranked the top three. Taking into account drying times, clearness of dried product, tackiness, cleanliness, and ease of use, I would have to give first place to Aileen's Original Tacky Glue. Its overall performance was the best out of all six glues, and it helped me create the most professional looking quills. Second place would be given to the Clear Gel Tacky Glue, because of the final appearance (or disappearance!) of the dry product. And in third place, is the Scotch Quick Dry Tacky Glue, because it does not get stringy, and the speed in which the glue tacks and dries.

My final word on the proper glue for quilling is more of a suggestion: to get the best of both worlds, pick up a bottle of Clear Gel Tacky Glue and one of the Original Tacky Glue. Put some of each into a contact lens case, and use it from there. You then have access to both glues and can use them interchangeably for what they're best suited for. Plus, a lens case is a lot easier to tote around than the whole bottle!