Articles
REVIEW: Super-Useful Sticky Tacky Putty -- Practical, Non-Damaging Poster-Hanging Solution
By The Treasure-Sharer
I never used to decorate my room or hang things on my walls or personal spaces, when I was growing up, because I shared a room with my sister, and I think that my mom just hung up whatever she wanted. I never really had a say in anything, or necessarily even cared, since I think that I just used my room as a place to sleep in, and didn't think of it as a personal space, or anything special.
When I explained to my man how I thought of my room, he encouraged me to put more of myself into it, personalize it, and give it significance. He thought that it was because I didn't have any say in what went into my room that I felt so detached and uncaring about it, and didn't use my room for anything other than to sleep and store things in.
I decided to take his advice, and we went through boxes of things from my past that I had stored away, including artwork, school projects, awards, certificates, diplomas, and other things that held meaning and significance for me.
At the time, all that I had to hang things up with were regular tape, masking tape, thumb tacks, and nails, so we had to work with what we had, and used them. I didn't really like the idea of putting tape on the things made with paper, since most were the kind that might possibly rip if the tape needed to be removed, but I didn't have anything else to use, and I did want to try personalizing my room. I don't think that I even thought of using adhesive clay putty, since I didn't really have experience hanging up stuff, so I thought that the things that I had on-hand were as good as I was going to be able to get.
I was super-pleased with what my man and I were able to do with my room, and with being able to put things that were significant to my life out where I could see them and be reminded of them, rather than having them waste away in boxes.
However, I did discover that when I, years later, wanted to take a few things down to laminate them or replace them with things that better represented the more-current version of myself, that the tape usually did end up damaging the backs of my meaningful art projects and other things. I felt sad about this, but I had known that that would probably happen when I used them, so I just had to suck it up.
After discovering sticky tacky putty on Temu, years later, while trying to find solutions for hanging posters that I had started buying for my man and myself, I only wish that I had known about this non-damaging poster-hanging putty sooner, to allow me to keep my precious documents and projects in good condition, even when being hung up. Personal documents, memorabilia, and artwork are so irreplaceable and priceless, so the better care that can be given to them, the better.
That's why I think that the sticky tacky putty on Temu is a great purchase -- costing so little to keep things of greater value in better condition.
I think that it's good to always have some of this adhesive clay putty around -- the same way that you would always keep rolls of tape handy.
See below to see some images of the sticky tacky putty, including the film that it has covering it to protect it, the size dimensions, and a few other applications for it.
My man and I have only used the sticky tacky putty for hanging up posters, so far, but I will definitely use the poster putty/tack in place of using tape, for any item that I feel concerned might get damaged with tape, in the future.
If you aren't familiar with adhesive clay putty, it's a kind of reusable clay that is used to hang things up without causing damage to the item itself, or to the walls that the items are hung on. It comes in strips of squares that you can rip or cut off individually, to stick onto the backs of items that need hanging.
I tend to use four poster putty adhesives per lightweight poster, like those made of canvas. For heavier metal posters, I usually pair the sticky tacky putty with stronger velcro-based hanging strips, to ensure that the heavier posters don't fall down and get damaged. The stronger adhesives are more expensive, and come in smaller amounts, so being able to use fewer hanging strips by replacing some with sticky tacky putty for hanging posters is a lot more economical than needing to use four stronger adhesives, or only using two, while worrying that the item might fall because of using fewer adhesives.
I think that I've actually been using sticky tacky putty wrong this whole time (or at least not as well as I could have been using it), since I would just stick the squares directly onto the posters, and stick the posters to the wall. I found out through writing this article that you are really supposed to rub the squares between your fingers and roll them into balls first, to increase the sticky putty's stickiness, before sticking the sticky tacky putty to the items that you want to hang. See the image to the side for an explanation of how to use the blue putty for hanging posters.
I suspect that this is why my canvas posters have sometimes fallen even after I use the sticky tack on them. I asked my man if he rolled the sticky tack squares into balls first, and he said that he didn't, and put them directly on the poster like I did. He later confirmed for me that he, like me, thought that it wasn't really intuitive that you should roll them first. This is especially the case with using them to hang up flat items like posters, since people generally want to keep the stuff that they hang up flat, and putting the tabs directly on items to be hung up keeps them as flat as possible.
It didn't help that the wallhanging putty that I initially started buying, which came in a 48-pack, just had the putty squares on a white piece of paper, with no instructions on how to use the poster putty. I haven't yet given my man the new ones with 96 in a pack, with instructions on the back, because I wanted to keep them to take pictures of for this review.
If you buy the 96-pack set that I am linking to in this review, then I think that it will probably come with instructions, although a pink pack that I received didn't come with any descriptions or information, so I'm not sure if they all do. The instructions that did come with some of the other packs that I received were half-gibberish though, and included whole sections with words with no spaces in between each other. You can always refer to the product page, or this review, if you want a refresher on how to use the sticky tacky putty most effectively.
My man told me that his posters sometimes fall down too, but that he just hangs them back up, and presses against the tacky poster putty adhesives really hard, just like I do, believing that this will help them stick better.
I don't know if the posters would stay up better if we rolled the sticky putty first, but we're going to start doing that, going forward.
For your reference, I found through researching for this article that the way to prep to have the sticky tacky putty work most effectively is to first wash your hands to make sure that you don't get anything on the poster, flatten the poster and smooth it out if it came rolled up, by laying it face-down on a flat surface, and placing weights on the corners and center of the poster, perhaps using books as weights. Then, it is important to clean the wall to remove any dust or particles that might make the adhesive stick less, with a damp cloth and alcohol (or cleaning solution), or a vacuum cleaner (which my man and I also haven't been doing, but will probably start doing). Finally, you can apply the adhesive clay putty, remembering to use more, and apply it at more points on the poster, for larger posters. See the article How to Hang a Poster: Best Damage-Free Options, for more detail and more information.
I generally just use four sticky tacky putty squares for the four corners, and sometimes one in the middle, if the poster is larger, but will experiment with adding more, to see if it helps to hold up any of my posters that end up falling, in the future.
The sticky tacky putty that I buy now is a super-good deal, because it comes in a pack of 96, for pretty much the same price that I used to get only 48 squares for. I had seen it before, but the first thing in its description described it as "nail putty," so I thought that it was meant to be used for fingernails, and didn't pay attention to it, and ending up overspending on buying the 48-packs a number of times, believing that they were the best deal, since the other cheap packs available only had 30 squares for similar prices.
My man even told me that I should buy extras in advance (which I have accumulated), since we use the sticky tacky putty for hanging posters so much.
Because it's good to use at least four sticky tack squares per item, the squares can run out very quickly, so they're definitely worth buying in a big quantity all at once, rather than waiting for when you might need them.
They come in different colors, but I don't really pay attention to what color they come in, since I just want them for the function, and buy whatever is the cheapest at the time, since I haven't had a problem with them showing through the posters that I hang up. I've seen someone recommend buying white sticky tack for white walls, and I imagine that it would also work better for white documents that are more translucent, or for anything transparent.
Some of the options for the 96-pack don't allow you to choose the color that you will receive. Since I haven't had a problem with using the brightly-colored ones, it doesn't bother me, but I guess that I would recommend going with the white sticky tacky putty option, if you are able to choose it for a good price, if you want to get the safest and most versatile color option. I haven't managed to get one myself, though, so I can't say how big a difference it actually makes.
The 48-pack that I bought and used the most of has, unfortunately, been discontinued, so I can't link to it here. The same goes for one of 96-pack of sticky tacky putty options that I bought, so I can only link to one of the 96-packs that I bought that is still available for purchase, below:
It unfortunately only appears to come in blue, if that matters to you. It's definitely the cheapest option available for getting the biggest amount non-damaging poster-hanging squares for the best price, but if you really want to be able to select the color that you want, then you can search Temu for other sticky tacky putty color options.
I've never used white sticky tack, since I never thought to go for that color in particular.
See below for photos of the different colors of the 96-packs of sticky tack that I bought, in pink, green, and blue, and of the front and back packaging. (My man and I already used up all the 48-packs of a different sticky tacky putty I bought, unfortunately, so I can't take photos to show you how those looked, but the link to buy those through isn't available, anyway.)
See below for photos of how the top flap of the case can be lifted to open the package and close it, and how the sticky tacky putty looks like with the protective film peeled off, and when peeled from its backing. Notice how the pieces of putty on the top row appear to be slightly smaller than the other squares, which I don't really like, because it means that you have less putty to apply, with those pieces.
If you're looking for something to help you hang things up without damaging the wall or your items, then I highly recommend trying out this bargain version of blue tack -- particularly if you don't care about the putty's color. Since it usually isn't visible anyway, I don't think that the color really matters, for the most part. Note that there will be bumps protuding from what you are hanging, where the lumps of adhesive clay putty are placed, but that these will not really be noticeable from far away.
See below for photos of the sticky tacky putty torn off as a square, rolled into ball, placed on the back of a canvas poster, and with the poster hung up against a wall.
Note how the sticky tacky putty at the center of the poster is smaller than the other pieces of putty, since I put the one that I tore off from the top there, that was smaller than the other pieces.
Note also that the pink color of the sticky tack and its bumpiness are not really noticeable, when the poster is viewed at a distance.
This mounting clay is very easy to use: just cut or tear off a piece of adhesive poster tacky, stretch and knead it to make it soft and elastic, then press it firmly onto the item to adhere it securely to a clean, dry wall, for best effect. See the image to the side, which demonstrates its ease of use.
These non-damaging poster hangers maintain their adhesive properties after multiple uses. You simply need to remove and remold the tacky putty to maintain its adhesion for repeated use. The residue putty left on the wall can apparently be cleaned off by rolling another piece of sticky tack over it to pull it off with. I tried this method to remove the residue left over from the Ronald and Nancy Reagan poster that I hung up and photographed for this article, and can confirm that this method worked super-well. I usually just use my nails to scratch the residue off, and think that this also works, but that the other method is less likely to damage your walls, if you are not careful. I haven't damaged any of my walls through scratching off leftover residue yet, though.
Note that adhesive clay putty is designed for lightweight items or temporary decorations on flat, clean, and dry surfaces, and is not suitable for heavy or fragile items.
The sticky tacky putty can also be used for a lot of other functions, some of which are detailed in the image below, taken from the Temu promo page.
Also see below for images of using the tacky putty for nails, taken from the Temu promo page.
You can apparently also use the putty to hold things in place, as well as to pick up debris stuck in and on your keyboard, to help clean it.
My man and I have yet to use the sticky tacky putty for these other functions, because we have so many posters to hang up that we don't really have any to spare, but I might do a follow-up review trying out some of the other applications, if we do end up trying them, and/or interest is expressed to have us test out the other functions. I did recently purchase a bunch of fake nail sets that I haven't tried yet, that I could use the putty as nail putty for, so we'll see whether not trying those will inspire another review.
Review:
Pros:
-doesn't damage the walls or items that it is stuck onto
-good level of stickiness for lightweight posters
-only need to use a bit on each corner, to hold most posters up
-strong enough to hold up big posters, if paired with stronger adhesives
-comes with a good-quality, durable case made of thick plastic, for storage
-can be cleanly removed, and leave no stickiness
-great for hanging posters, photos, and lightweight decorations
-great bargain price
-come in different colors (blue, pink, green, and white)
-easy to apply
-reusable, and maintain their adhesive properties after multiple uses
-easy to clean
-get a lot for the price (96 squares, as compared to 30 or 48 squares, for similar prices, like most other packages)
-possible to purchase in white, for white walls, and for transparent or translucent items
-hold items firmly in place
-sustainable alternative to traditional adhesives
-great for use in homes, schools, and offices
-easy to use
-great for temporary decorations
-good for use on flat, smooth, clean, and dry surfaces
-prevent needing to put holes in wall to hang things
-prevent potentially ripping or damaging paper items that need to be hung up
-flexible and durable
-can be easily removed or repositioned
-usually leave no sticky residue, but they do, it can be easily cleaned off
-won't damage most surfaces upon removal, such as glass, metal, plastic, marble, or wood
-especially suitable for scenarios that require hidden gluing or frequent positioning
-wide application, including being able to pick up dirt from keyboards, sticking on fake nails, mounting fragile items to flat surfaces to ensure that they don't fall off, etc.
Cons:
-can still allow posters to fall to the floor
-for delicate items like glass frames, it's better not to use sticky tack, as the items could possibly fall and break
-can see bumps through poster if use to hang canvas or paper posters
-might be able to see colored tack through poster if poster is thinner
-not strong enough on its own for really heavy posters like metal posters
-not suitable for hanging heavy or fragile items on walls, unless paired with stronger adhesives or thumb tacks
-doesn't work well on flimsy walls (for example those with cracking paint or powdery, disintegrating pieces on them)
-might run out fast, since you need to use at least four per poster
-can't use on wet or uneven surfaces
-can't use with uneven posters (such as damaged/dented/bent metal posters)
-sometimes inconsistent sizing: putty pieces at the very end can sometimes be smaller than the other pieces, giving them less holding power than the other pieces
Gem or Junk?
For Us:
Gem (3.8 stars out of 5)
For so useful and versatile an item, the amount of sticky tacky putty you get is a steal for the price. And, because these non-damaging poster adhesives allow you to hang up much more precious things without worrying about damaging them, their value is even greater -- in helping to protect our priceless keepsakes and other things.
If you are used to only using tape, then I'm sure you'll be converted -- like I was -- after using this tacky poster putty removable adhesive. I think it's worth buying at least a pad to try out, and buying more later if you find it as useful as my man and I do.
Remember that it's good to use at least four poster putty adhesives per poster (depending on the size of the poster), when deciding how much you might want to buy, and that this tacky poster putty is probably not the best poster putty (at least when used by itself) when hanging metal posters and heavier items.
Adhesive clay putty is great for lightweight things, but is not meant to be used with heavy or fragile items like glass, to ensure that you don't accidentally break anything that might fall down.
If you prefer to stay away from thumb tacks and things that might leave holes in your wall or items, or might rip off parts of your items, then the damage that these tacky putty squares will save you from is well worth their bargain price.
Especially if you're someone who is living somewhere temporarily (like a renter) and have to stay mindful of not damaging the walls of the temporary place that you're staying in, these are a great way to still be able to decorate your spaces to your liking.
We love the fact that these tacky poster putty adhesives are
reusable, so that you can take them off and bring them with you to a new space -- unlike tape, which tends to lose its stickiness after it is peeled off. We also like how easy it is to apply and clean off, so that we don't have to worry so much about it leaving behind any residue.
While it doesn't work for everything, sticky tacky putty works well for a lot of things, so we think it's worth buying and having on hand, even if you don't need it for anything at the immediate moment.
And while we haven't tried using it for anything other than hanging up posters with, you can also use sticky tacky putty for sticking on fake nails, cleaning messy keyboards, and more, so you can definitely get a lot more use for them than just using on lightweight posters, like we do.
Gems For Who?
1. Crafters.
2. Parents.
3. Teachers.
4. Renters.
5. Diamond art crafters.
6. Anyone who needs an easy, mess-free adhesive solution.
7.Poster fanatics.
8.People who have a lot of posters they want to hang up.
9. Collectors with things to hang up and keep in place.
10. People who wear fake nails and want to try using them to hold their fake nails in place.
Conclusion:
Since I've never used brand-name versions of sticky tack, I can't say how this sticky tacky putty works in comparison, but I can say that it sticks pretty well, doesn't damage walls, and doesn't damage posters, either. I really appreciate how gentle it is, and how it is removable and reusable.
With the deal that I found, with double the amount I was buying before for almost the same price, it's totally a great deal, that's worth buying more than one of.
It's definitely the best deal for a way to hang your posters up without damaging anything. It also has the added bonus of coming with a well-made, reusable case.
Like I mentioned, my man even told me to buy extra, since we know that we use it so often.
You'll never want to go back to using tape to hang things on your walls again, once you see in how much better condition this sticky poster putty keeps your posters and walls in.
If you want to give these bargain alternatives to Blu Tack a try at Temu, and haven't yet signed up for the site, please use my referral link, which will give you a $100 coupon bundle after signing up.
If you'd like to support our site and continued free content, then you can also donate crypto to our unstoppable domains account.
You can also sign up for Presearch using our referral link below, which will allow you to earn money while using the search engine.
If you missed our last article on a great couple necklace set option, you should definitely check it out.
See you in my next article! :)
