Crafting Tips

The creativity is endless with STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam. Follow these suggestions to create most anything at all. For the best results, be sure you're using STYROFOAM brand from Dow.

Cutting:

• Cut with a serrated knife, hacksaw, floral knife or X-acto® knife. Wax the knife blade with an old candle for easier, smoother cuts.
• Use an old electric knife to cut thicker pieces or several pieces stacked together.
• Try dental floss for slicing through sheets. Stand the sheet on its side, hold one end of the floss at the bottom of the board, and pull the the floss through the foam.
• Consider an electric or battery-powered cutting tool, such as the Styrocutter® or Styrocutter® Plus.

Painting:

• Paint with an acrylic craft paint. Solvent-based paints may damage the foam (see paint manufacturer's instructions for details). Use a brush with stiff bristles for the best coverage.
• Place small shapes in a zip-top plastic bag, add paint, seal the bag, and rotate shape until it's completely covered. Remove from bag with pick and let dry.
• Use spray paint with caution; read the label carefully to determine whether or not it's safe for STYROFOAM Brand Foam.
• Hint: Insert a floral pick or wood skewer into your foam shape to use as a handle while painting. When done, insert the handle into a block of STYROFOAM Brand Foam while paint dries.

Gluing:

• Low-temperature glue guns set fast and hold tight.
• Hot glue guns bond instantly but may melt a small portion of the foam.
• White craft glue is a tried and true favorite; allow it to dry overnight.
• Hint: For a snug bond between two pieces, gently rub them together before gluing; insert toothpicks or florist's picks between the pieces to hold them together while the glue dries.

Sanding:

• Sand foam with another piece of STYROFOAM Brand Foam to smooth and round edges.
• Cut out larger pieces first (see "Cutting" above) and then sand to the final shape.

Sculpting:

• Shape it with your fingers
• Carve it with a knife
• Roll it on a table
• Texture it with tools
• Flatten with a rolling pin

Texturing:

• Cover foam shapes with plaster, wallboard compound, gesso, modeling paste or other coating materials
• Smooth it or stucco it, swirl it or sculpt it

Cookie Cutters:

• Press metal cookie cutters into a 1/2" thick sheet of STYROFOAM Brand Foam. Gently remove the shape from the cutter and "sand" rough edges with another piece of foam.
• Dip shape in paint and stamp out greeting cards and wrapping paper.
• Hang painted shape on Christmas tree, garland or wreath.

Dividing Balls & Eggs into Two Equal Halves:

• Wrap a thick rubber band around the center of the ball or egg. Decide which edge of the rubber band will run exactly along the center line (for example, choose the right side.) Use a tape measure to see if the measurements on either side of the right edge of the rubber band are the same.
• Adjust the rubber band until both sides are identical.
• Run a very sharp pencil along the right edge of the rubber band to mark the center line.

Dividing Balls & Eggs into Quarters:

• Move the rubber band so it bisects the two halves you just marked.
• Repeat above instructions, starting with the second bullet point.