STYROFOAM brand foam crafts

Crystal Castle

Enchant your little princess with a fairytale birthday celebration. Simply add beads and glittery chenille stems to basic foam shapes for a touch of magic.
   Completion Time - 
2-4 hours
   Designer - 
Nancy Billetdeaux

Materials

STYROFOAM Brand Foam
  • Blocks, 10" x 12" x 1-1/4", three
  • Cones: 6" x 3", nine; 12" x 4", one
  • Disc, 7-1/2" x 1-1/4"
Other Materials
  • White/iridescent chenille stems, 12" x 6mm, 50
  • Clear/iridescent tri-beads, 35

Tools

  • Serrated knife
  • Candle stub or paraffin
  • Fine-line black permanent marker
  • Ruler
  • Round toothpicks
  • Metal teaspoon or serrated grapefruit spoon
  • Wire cutters
  • Needlenose pliers
  • Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
  • Thick, white craft glue
  • Cardboard, 12" square (optional)

Instructions

For instructions to create figurines next to castle, select[removed link] (figurine at left) and [removed link] (figurine at right).
  • 1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut foamdisc in half. Refer to Diagrams 1-3; cut two foam blocks asindicated, leaving first block uncut for castle base.

  • 2. Glue several toothpicks into one long 1-1/4" edge of eachcastle side piece, pushing toothpicks halfway into foam. Applyglue to exposed toothpick ends; push long sides into top ofbase. Push short sides into top of base, between long sides,to form 6-1/4"-tall foam "box." Glue several toothpicks intostraight edge of one half-disc. Apply glue to toothpick ends;push disc into bottom front of castle.

  • 3. For door, refer to Diagram 4. Cut large cone in halflengthwise, then cut 5-3/4" from base of one half-cone. Usemetal spoon to hollow out doorway area to depth of 1/2". Gluedoor to front of castle as shown.

  • 4. For trees, cut one 6" cone in half lengthwise. Glue onetree to castle on each side of door. Glue one 6" cone to eachupper corner of castle for towers.

  • 5. For turrets, cut 2-7/8" from base of each remaining 6"cone; set aside top sections. Refer to Diagram 5 to make fourcuts in top of each turret piece, removing marked sections.Use metal spoon to hollow out turrets, leaving 1/2" thicknessall around. Use scrap foam to sand edges smooth. Place oneturret on top of each tower as shown.

  • 6. Cut top sections of cones set aside in Step 5 in halflengthwise. Glue four halves to sides of castle for windows as shown.

  • 7. Glue foam blocks cut in Step 1 to top of castle betweenturret towers as shown: one to front; two to rear; three to each side.

  • 8. Glue chenille stems to all seam lines, cutting to fit asneeded. For trees, thread beads onto chenille stems beforegluing to trees in zig-zag pattern. Glue bead to top of eachtree. For flags, cut two chenille stems in half; bend eachhalf into shape of a "4" and glue into tops of cones.

  • 9. Place castle on cardboard to dry.