How to Glue Sugar Cubes
Sugar cubes are squares made by mixing a syrup of melted sugar and water together with granulated sugar. The mixture is then molded into squares and left to dry. You can dissolve sugar cubes with liquid ingredients as a sweetener, but they are also often used in craft projects. Sugar cubes are solid enough to glue together and use as building blocks. The sugar crystals create a slightly sparkly appearance, which you may find more appealing than foam or plastic blocks. A sticky, icing-like mixture works better than actual glue, which can discolor and disintegrate the sugar crystals.
Things You'll Need
- 1 egg
- Small bowl
- Slotted spoon
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
- Whisk
- 1 to 2 cups powdered sugar
- Cardboard
- Pastry brush
- Sugar cubes
Instructions
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1
Crack one egg into a small bowl. Scoop up the yolk with a slotted spoon and discard it.
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2
Add 1/8 tsp. of cream of tartar into the egg white. Whisk the egg white and cream of tartar together until they form a fluffy mixture.
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3
Pour 1 cup of powdered sugar into the egg white and cream of tartar mixture. Whisk the ingredients until the mixture is completely smooth and thick. Add another cup of powdered sugar if the mixture is thin and runny.
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4
Lay a piece of cardboard (or whatever material you are gluing your sugar cubes to) onto a flat surface. Dip a pastry brush into the powdered sugar mixture, then lightly coat the bottom of a sugar cube.
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5
Place the sugar cube onto the cardboard. Coat the rest of your sugar cubes in the same manner and arrange or stack them in your preferred shape or design. Let the sugar cubes sit undisturbed for about one hour or until the adhesive hardens.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You can purchase cream of tartar in the baking section of most large grocery stores--it is the ingredient responsible for preventing the sugar from dissolving, so don't skip it.
Never eat the egg and sugar mixture or let your children taste it--although it is made of all natural products, it contains a raw egg white which can cause a salmonella infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Always store glued sugar cubes in a cool area because high temperatures could melt the adhesive.
