As the popularity of Mod Podge continues to increase at a rapid pace, more and more people are starting to realise just how versatility Mod Podge actually is. This has led to a number of people reaching out with a range of questions on how they are able to get the most out of their Mod Podge to get as much bang for their buck as possible.
We have already covered a number of commonly asked questions about Mod Podge but we have noticed a spike in the number of people asking for a Mod Podge vs resin comparison. Due to this, we have decided to publish this article in an attempt to help any of our readers who are considering using their Mod Podge as an Epoxy Resin alternative.
Although Mod Podge does offer you a ton of versatility, you have to realise that it is more of a jack of all trades type of product rather than a specialist product like epoxy resins. We will be going into much more detail on this through out the article below though and covering the areas of cross over between the two featured products.
Can You Use Mod Podge Like Epoxy Resin?
Due to the sealant included in the Mod Podge formula, it can offer great levels of protection when used as a sealing agent in various situations. Although a specialist product such as epoxy resin does usually offer higher levels of protection, especially when used outdoors due to being exposed to the elements, Mod Podge can still be a solid option for any indoor use.
You can use Mod Podge like epoxy resins to seal art work, paint, wood, glass, and various other surfaces without any major issues provided the surfaces are kept indoors or out of wind and rain. This allows many people to keep their costs as low as possible for their arts and crafts due to Mod Podge offering a number of other uses in the arts and crafts space too.
If you use your epoxy resins to fill molds then Mod Podge does definitely fall behind and a specialist product such as a resin will easily outperform the Mod Podge. If you are just looking for a sealing agent though, Mod Podge can hold its own with epoxy in most situations.
Is Mod Podge Or Resin Better?
Mod Podge does tend to be the better product for the arts and crafts community due to it offering a huge number of uses. This makes Mod Podge a big hit with beginners or anyone on a budget as you are able to use your Mod Podge for considerably more than a resin product and get the most bang for your buck.
That said though, there are some niche areas where resin does end up taking over Mod Podge such as when pouring resin into molds or when used for outdoor use in areas with high wind and rain as a sealant. The majority of our readers who will be doing either of these activities will usually be more experienced in the arts and crafts space though and have a slightly higher budget available for their activities.
Depending on the types of arts and crafts that you will be taking part in as well as your budget, you may actually be able to add both Mod Podge and a decent epoxy resin to your collection and get the best of both worlds. For a large chunk of our readers, this will be overkill though and simply sticking with Mod Podge will often be the best option.
Whats The Difference Between Mod Podge And Resin?
The main difference between Mod Podge and resin is that Mod Podge is a PVA based glue product that has a small amount of sealant added to its formula. This opens up the valid use cases for Mod Podge drastically allowing you to use it in more situations than you can use regular PVA glue.
As the name suggests, an epoxy resin product is an actual resin that can be considerably more robust than a product like Mod Podge. The resin also tends to set considerably better than Mod Podge can when not actually applied to a dedicated surface pushing resin ahead for any mold based work.
A tub of Mod Podge is very budget friendly allowing the majority of our readers to add it to their collection without issue and use it in a wide range of situations. Epoxy resin can be budget friendly depending on the amount and type that you need but its price really can rapidly climb for the better formulas in decent quantities.
The Advantages Of Mod Podge!
The two main advantages of Mod Podge is that is is very cheap and very versatile with both being the main two reasons that Mod Podge just keeps on dominating the market in the arts and crafts space. The reputation of Mod Podge just keeps on getting better and better as time moves on causing more people to switch over to using it too.
It is very easy to use for the vast majority of its use cases making it very easy to glue various surfaces together such as paper, card, wood, and non-washable fabric. This makes it ideal for people of all levels of experience in the arts and crafts space who are looking to use Mod Podge during their activities.
Although there are a wide range of different Mod Podge formulas on the market right now that each offer their own unique advantages, the majority of people still use the standard matte or gloss Mod Podge for their arts and crafts. Depending on exactly what you are going to be doing, it may be worth looking into some of the other formulas of Mod Podge on the market.
The Advantages Of Resin!
Due to resin being a specialist product that has been designed to do a small number of tasks to the best of its ability, it definitely outshines Mod Podge in some situations. On the flip side of this though, it is not as versatile and can cost considerably more for similar amounts of resin.
For outdoor use or in places where you expect there to be high levels of wear and tear, epoxy resin will blow Mod Podge out of the water and be able to seal your artwork with minimal long term issues. This helps to ensure that your art will be able to last you for as long as possible without fading, suffering exposure to the elements, or having problems due to people touching it.
Resin also has the advantage when it comes to any mold based work for making your own models or any other mold based activities. Mod Podge really can’t compete with resin in this sense as it was never designed for it and will often lose shape and consistency quickly.
Can You Use Mod Podge Instead Of Resin?
You are able to use Mod Podge in place of resin for some activities, especially if it is just sealing artwork that will be kept indoors but a decent resin still holds the throne in a small number of cases. Depending on how serious you are about your artwork, it make still be a better option to use a resin instead of Mod Podge in the situations where Mod Podge can work due to it being able to out perform Mod Podge in the long term.
If you are a beginner in the arts and crafts space or are on a budget and need to keep your costs down then Mod Podge can usually work well enough for most people at that level. The additional functionality offered by Mod Podge often scores it plenty of points for beginners over resin anyway making it the obvious option.
Many intermediate and the majority of professionals in the arts and craft space will usually have both Mod Podge (or another PVA based glue formula) and epoxy resin in their collection. This offers you the best of both worlds and ensures that you are always able to get the best performance possible for your required task.
Conclusion
That brings our Mod Podge vs epoxy resin comparison article to a close. We hope that we have helped our readers understand the situations when they should be using Mod Podge and the situations when they should be using a specialist resin. Depending on your needs and circumstances, you are able to get surprisingly good performance out of Mod Podge though while keeping your costs as low as possible.
