Crafting & Scrapbooking with ATG Tape: A Game-Changer for DIY Projects

Conventional paper adhesive options have been letting crafters down for generations. Glue stick adhesive tends to dry out quickly, causing once-bonded elements to flake off. Liquid glue is notoriously messy, ruining just as many projects as it helps.

Thank goodness that now, there's ATG tape.

This tape is a reverse-wound, double sided, clear acrylic tape applied using a dispenser called an adhesive transfer gun (ATG). The ATG dispenser removes the liner and applies the tape in a single, continuous action. This makes tape application fast and easy to control, ensuring neat lines. The dispenser also re-winds the removed liner as you work for easy cleanup. The only downside is that, frankly, not enough crafters and crafting suppliers are aware of ATG tape's significant benefits. So, that's what we're here to fix!

Why ATG Tape Is Perfect for Crafting & Scrapbooking

The fun part of scrapbooking and other paper crafts isn't usually the 'getting stuff to stick together' part. Unfortunately, using the wrong type of adhesive can make that part disproportionately time consuming.

ATG tape makes for an all-around superior paper-crafting adhesive solution for a few key reasons:

• Strength: The glass-stabilized acrylic adhesive in many ATG tapes is extremely strong, allowing you to firmly bond a wide variety of materials and memorabilia items to paper.
• Double sided: Its double sided construction allows you to make invisible joins, keeping the visual emphasis squarely on your designs.
• Self-Tidying: Inside the adhesive transfer gun, tape liners are automatically respooled as you go, preventing unnecessary mess.
• Fast: The dispenser keeps your tape taught and clean while automatically removing the liner paper, speeding up the adhesive application process.
• Archival: Acid-free ATG tape options are a safe, stable solution for preserving photos, papers, and other delicate keepsakes.

Popular DIY Applications for ATG Tape

While still an under-utilized tool, DIYers and paper crafters have been experimenting with ATG tape more and more over the years. Their efforts have shown just how impressively versatile this tape is. A few of its most popular applications include:

• Scrapbooking: Master scrapbookers are some of the OG adopters of ATG tape. They've demonstrated its usefulness many times over. It works with photos, paper ephemera, silk flowers, charms, buttons, bows, and countless other embellishments and decorative elements. So long as the elements are lightweight and can be safely applied with firm pressure, just about anything goes.
• Cardmaking: The art of assembling beautiful papers and embellishments into one-of-a-kind hand-made cards is all about the details. Seamless, invisible bonds are critical for ensuring each element flows together in these little works of art. ATG tape is perfect for creating these bonds, quickly and cleanly, maximizing the time and attention card makers use on the creative process.
• Papercrafts: Both 2D and 3D papercraft projects require minute, precisely applied, lightweight adhesive, and that's precisely what ATG tape has to offer.
• Invitations: Creating hand-made invitations requires a streamlined design process and strong adhesion, capable of holding up to mailing and handling. ATG tape fits this bill perfectly, offering assembly-line efficiency and pinpoint accuracy to speed up the invitation crafting process.
• Home Décor Projects: ATG tape provides strong, long term adhesion for both 2D and 3D home décor. It's particularly popular for creating quick, high-quality bonds between frames and lightweight decorative materials like fabric, ribbons, and paper.

Why Craft Stores Should Stock ATG Tape

Historically, craft stores have focused on selling smaller, more recognizable adhesive solutions, such as traditional consumer tape rolls and glue stick packs. However, as ATG tape has become increasingly celebrated as a time-saving, highly effective solution for all manner of DIY and paper crafting projects, it's also provided these retailers with a fresh opportunity. It gives them a chance to become their customers' go-to provider for a game-changing and perpetually in-demand crafting solution.

Growing Consumer Demand & Market Trends

According to several Statista surveys, around one quarter of all U.S. adults report DIY and crafting to be among their hobbies. Meanwhile, Business Research Insights has predicted that the global craft market will nearly double in value over the next decade, increasing to $74.27 billion by 2033. Scrapbooking and paper crafting promise to make up a sizable chunk of that business, and craft stores need to stay on top of market trends to keep those customers returning.

Faster, more efficient solutions that offer long-lasting results are appealing to crafters both new and old alike. New crafters are more likely to stay engaged with paper craft hobby if quality results are easier to achieve, and the right tools are easier to access. Meanwhile, longtime crafters are likely to recognize and feel greater affinity towards stores that are making a concerted effort to offer the best professional quality solutions.

Sales Potential & Profitability

While more efficient and effective than most other scrapbooking adhesive options, ATG tape does share one drawback with its competition - it's consumable. Crafters have to regularly re-purchase tape in order to continue engaging with the art form they love. However, this drawback is actually a boon to the retailers themselves. As the primary supply source for your crafty clientele, you can help encourage repeat patronage by offering ATG tape products at a competitive price point.

Of course, if it were simply basic tape, it would be less likely to draw customers to any one specific retailer. However, as we've already established, ATG tape is far superior to older, basic tape options. Its premium qualities and background as a professional-grade tool lend it a high degree of perceived value. This helps ensure craft stores can maintain healthy profit margins, and that they can use their plentiful ATG tape stock as a strong incentive for getting customers in the store and browsing all that's on offer.

ATG tape dispensers and rolls also provide excellent cross-selling and bundling opportunities for craft supply retailers. They can draw attention to larger displays featuring desirable add-ons like scrapbooking kits, embellishments, paper packs, and additional tools. They can also be logically bundled with any of these items to drive up customer interest and encourage larger purchases.

Bulk Purchasing & Custom Branding Opportunities for Retailers

Of course, to get the most benefit out of stocking ATG tape, craft supply retailers need to acquire high quality products at the lowest possible cost. That's where bulk purchasing and custom branding can prove particularly advantageous

When craft stores purchase their ATG tape as a wholesale, bulk order, they increase their profitability for every single roll sold. This effect can be magnified further when the perceived value of their particular ATG tape stock is elevated through custom branding. So long as the product is of high quality, custom branding can not only increase the likelihood that customers purchase your tape, but also that they associate quality and reliability with your brand - a proven strategy for building customer loyalty.

If shelf space or demand are right, it's can also be a smart move to carry a variety of widths, adhesive strengths, and even packaging styles to offer your customers. This variety can help stores further cater to each customer's unique needs.

How To Choose the Right ATG Tape for Your Projects

If you're considering using ATG tape for your next craft or DIY project, then congratulations! You've made an excellent choice. All that's left is determining which type of ATG tape is the best fit for your application.

Your first consideration should be how permanent you want the bond to be. ATG tape comes in both permanent and removable varieties. With a permanent adhesive, the bond cannot be broken without a considerable degree of effort, and even then damage to the adhered components is possible. This type of bond is the longest lasting, and is an excellent choice for any project that is meant to endure the test of time.

On the other hand, removable adhesive allows you to separate the bonded materials with relative ease. It's a good choice for temporary applications, like installing decor for an event or a single season.

Next, consider the width of tape you need. For fine detail work, attaching small embellishments or extremely lightweight materials, thinner widths work best. If you want to firmly adhere large sheets of paper together, attach weightier materials like fabric or cardboard, or completely cover a surface with a large number of decorative embellishments, then a wider tape is called for.

Finally, make sure you have the right ATG dispenser available to apply your tape quickly and effectively. A good quality dispenser should be easy to handle, allowing you to quickly apply, cut, and apply again as you work through your project. It should also rewind the liner as you go. Lesser-quality dispensers may be prone to getting gummed up or jammed over time, so check reviews before buying to see what the general user experience is. Note that it is critical to use a dispenser to get the full benefit of ATG tape. While this adhesive can technically be applied without a dispenser, the speed and efficiency benefits are rendered mostly negligible as a consequence.

Choose Tape Jungle for Your ATG Tape Needs

Whether you're looking to pick up a few rolls for your next project, or interested in bulk purchasing ATG tape with custom branding for your craft supply store, Tape Jungle has what you need. Our ATG tape provides high-quality, easy-to-apply adhesion for superior DIY and paper crafting results. Check out our product selection today!