I keep a roll of wax paper in my shop and when I glue something that will rest on my bench to dry, I put wax paper down to protect my bench and the item I am gluing. I use double sided tape to stick some to the item I am working on if there is danger of glue getting on fine wood.
My grandfather used to take burned down candles and Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery ward catalogs, etc., and wax the pages with the old candles by rubbing them on the pages he would tear out and do the same thing.
– Ted Toll