Glue Stick

Hello. I'm a Glue Stick. Before I came along, things were very, very messy. Imagine trying to stick paper together with a pot of goopy paste and a little brush. Or picture using liquid glue that dripped and oozed everywhere. It got on your fingers, your clothes, and all over your beautiful artwork. It was a sticky situation for sure. Kids and grown-ups wished for a way to glue things neatly, without all the drips and globs. They needed a hero to save their art projects, and that's where my story begins.

My story really started high up in the sky on a day in 1967. A very clever man named Dr. Wolfgang Dierichs was flying on an airplane, watching the clouds drift by. He happened to see a woman next to him getting ready. She took out a shiny tube of lipstick, twisted the bottom, and swiped the color onto her lips. It was so simple, so clean, and there was no mess at all. A brilliant idea popped into Dr. Dierichs’ head like a bright lightbulb. He thought, 'What if glue could work just like that?'. He imagined a solid stick of glue that you could twist up when you needed it and twist down when you were done. He said to himself, 'I can make crafting so much simpler for everyone.'. When he got back to his job at a company called Henkel in Germany, he told everyone about his exciting idea. But making me was harder than it looked. Dr. Dierichs and his team worked for two whole years to find the perfect recipe. They felt like scientists in a lab, mixing and measuring, testing and trying again and again. They had to figure out how much water to use so I wouldn't be too wet or too dry. The glue had to be solid enough to stay in my tube, but soft and sticky enough to glide onto paper when you used me. It also had to have a special cap that sealed tightly to keep me from drying out. I worried that I would be too tricky to make, but I kept hoping I could help. Finally, on a wonderful day in 1969, they did it. I was born. I was the very first Pritt Stick, the world's first ever glue stick. I had a red tube, a white cap, and a twisty bottom that worked just like that lipstick. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to get into the hands of children and help them create amazing things without any of the old, sticky mess.

And I did help. I made a huge difference in schools and homes right away. Suddenly, kids could glue paper hearts, macaroni pictures, and school reports without getting sticky goo all over their desks and their clothes. Craft time became so much cleaner and easier. My journey started in Germany, but soon, children all over the world wanted to use me for their projects. I traveled in backpacks and pencil cases to classrooms and offices in countries far and wide. It all started with a simple idea that Dr. Dierichs had while watching someone use lipstick. It just goes to show you that even a small, everyday observation can grow into a big idea that helps millions of people. I am so proud that I get to help you be creative and stick your wonderful ideas together, one clean swipe at a time.