In the past we have outlined many different ways to help you remove stickers and decals from different surfaces, but what if you’re looking to do the opposite?
What if your favorite
sticker or decal has started to peel and lose its stickiness, is it possible to make a sticker stick again?
In some cases, it may be possible to restore the adhesive on the back of a sticker, but it will require the use of a 3
rd party product. Unfortunately, once the original adhesive on the back of the sticker/decal has dried out or has lost its stickiness, there’s not really a good way to bring it back to life. You can, however, add a new layer of adhesive that will help your sticker stick again.
Making a Sticker Sticky Again
While the adhesive on the back of a sticker can dry out or become un-sticky after longer periods of time, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to reapply a new adhesive. Reapplying a new adhesive to your stickers can give them new life with little effort.
Before you start trying to add new adhesive to the backs of your stickers, you should first determine if the sticker itself is the problem. It could also be the material that the sticker is stuck to.
Stickers and decals need a smooth, clean surface in order to properly stick, and stay stuck. If the material you are trying to stick your sticker to is rough or has dirt and debris on it, then there’s a good chance that your sticker isn’t going to stay adhered to whatever it is you’re trying to stick it to.
If the surface isn’t the issue, then the adhesive on the back of the sticker is probably the culprit and needs to be repaired.
Spray Adhesive Method
As we mentioned, to make a sticker sticky again will require an external adhesive, in this case spray adhesive. You can find spray adhesive, like 3M Super 77, at any arts and crafts store.
These spray adhesives act as a glue when used to attach two things together but can also be used to help renew the backs of stickers.
By spraying the adhesive on the back of your stickers and then letting them dry, you can return your stickers to all their stickiness. This will allow you to then reattach them to wherever they were falling off and they should continue to hold.
Rubber Cement
Rubber cement is a great tool when glue may not be an option, and it can help adhere those old stickers to various surfaces. And while this may not technically restore the stickiness to your old stickers, you will still be able to remove the stickers from the surface if you’re careful.
We don’t recommend using this method on paint or other surfaces that may come off with the sticker, but it’s perfect for scrapbooking and similar projects.
What you’ll want to do first is apply the rubber cement to the back of the sticker and then let the rubber cement dry. Once that is done, repeat the process for a second time.
After the rubber cement is dry for the second time you should then be able to stick the old sticker to a surface and fairly easily remove it if you need to reposition it.
Bringing a
sticker back to life isn’t always going to work 100% of the time. Once the adhesive on the back of the sticker is no longer sticky, it will need to be replaced in order for it to be sticky again. Fortunately there are a variety of adhesives available to help.
