Need a fix? Introducing Sugru*

When Archie Schnauzer chewed the arm off a much loved toy figure just before Christmas, there was only one thing to do - we asked the Elves for help. The figure disappeared for a few days and one morning, we came downstairs to find him wrapped up in a bed, with a (knitted) blanket and a 'nil by mouth' notice. A few days later he was up and about, with an entirely new prosthetic arm. Of course, none of us know exactly how the elves managed it, there was probably an element of magic involved but when I heard about Sugru mouldable glue*, and saw that other people have used it for these sorts of emergencies, it seemed like a thing to have around in case of similar problems - especially if it's not the right season for elves! Take a look at Buzz here, his arm has been fixed too...

Since December, I've kept some packets of Sugru on hand... just in case. So far I've used it to fix the cable on two iPhone chargers (like this) and on a couple of different things that cracked, but I didn't think of writing about it here until a few weeks ago when Sugru got in touch and asked if I'd like to review their product on the blog. Of course, I didn't really need to - it already gets a huge thumbs-up from me as a household 'fix' but it got me thinking about other possible uses and I realised it would be a great product to share with you all, if you haven't already heard of it. 

I also wanted to tell you a bit about the founder - Jane Ní Dhulchaointigh is exactly the sort of person I like to write about here. Jane is originally from Ireland and in 2003, while studying at the Royal College of Art in London, she had an idea that eventually led to the invention of Sugru. Jane is passionate about promoting creativity and resourcefulness and sees this 'magic' material as an antidote to the throwaway culture we live in. I can totally relate to this - why else knit and darn handmade socks? - unfortunately my own "Macgyvered bodge-its" (like this and this) hardly compare to inventing a product that is effectively a mouldable glue that turns into rubber!

Since Sugru launched (several years after Jane's initial idea) it has received massive critical acclaim - one of the '50 best inventions' of the year it was launched commercially, and was called the '21st century duct tape' by Forbes. Jane has gone on to win awards as an entrepreneur who is changing the world for the better - good on her, because it really is a great product. 

Customise your Converse! 

So Sugru is good at repairing broken things - you can find lots of ideas and details of exactly how to use it on the official website. It's also a great material for improving and customising (or as I like to call it 'hacking and bodging') things too. It will stick to lots of different materials including aluminium, steel, ceramics, wood, some plastics and rubbers. It is able to say bonded in various conditions including outdoors, in the shower and in the freezer. Because it comes in ten different colours (those below, plus black and white) it can be blended to match or co-ordinate with the thing you're repairing or 'hacking'. Find a guide to making custom colours here.

You can use Sugru to make beads, and your own stamps, and even to make your crafting tools more comfortable. In fact, as I write this I'm waiting for my own 'crochet hook hack' to dry. UPDATE: See it here.

If you want to get your hands on some Sugru in the meatime, you'll find various starter kits and multi-packs online and from selected stockists. If you've already tried it, please leave a comment and let us know what you used it for!

UPDATE: Readers can get free shipping (click here) until Wednesday 17th August on orders over £10 / $15 / €13! 

*Affiliate links are included in this post. This is a product I have been using and recommending to friends before having any contact with the company's representatives. I have not been paid for this post. If you purchase Sugru after using my affiliate link, a few pennies will be payable. Whether or not you use my links, I do hope you'll give it a try and come up with some creative uses for it. Opinions expressed in this post are my own and, as always, entirely honest.