How to Spread Wood Glue with a Dollar Store Spatula (Easy Glue Hack)

If you’ve ever tried spreading glue with a brush or scrap of wood, you know the struggle. Glue gets clumpy, coverage is uneven, and cleaning up afterward feels like a chore.

Here’s a simple one-dollar solution that works way better: grab a flexible spatula from the dollar store.

When you’re gluing up panels or edge joints, it’s easy to overapply or end up with streaky coverage.
Most people reach for those glue-specific brushes or rollers from the hardware store, but they’re a nightmare to clean and dry out fast.
You don’t need all that.

Here’s what to do:

1. Head to the dollar store and grab a plastic or rubber spatula (the flexible kind).
2. You only need one, but it’s worth grabbing a few. You can cut the ends into smaller or different shapes for tight spots or specific glue-ups.
3. Use it just like you’d spread frosting on a cake — smooth, even, and controlled.

When glue squeezes over the edge, just swipe the spatula along and scoop it back up. It’s quick, clean, and wastes less glue.

Once you’re done, take a small piece of shop towel or paper towel and wipe the spatula clean. That’s it.
No soaking. No scrubbing dried glue out of tiny bristles.

The silicone or flexible plastic surface makes cleanup effortless, and you can reuse the same spatula hundreds of times.

• Grab a flexible spatula from the dollar store.
• Cut the ends into different shapes if you want custom glue spreaders.
• Spread glue evenly with full control.
• Cleanup is just a quick wipe with a towel.
• Costs about a buck and lasts forever.

This is one of those tiny upgrades that makes your workflow smoother right away.
You’ll wonder why you ever used those glue brushes in the first place.

Keep a cheap spatula in your shop drawer — it’s the easiest, cleanest, and most budget-friendly way to spread glue like a pro.