How to Use Craft Foam

Craft foam is a versatile product that can be used in a variety of ways. The most popular use for the foam is making stamps, but there are many other applications for the material. Craft foam is especially popular in creative projects for children, but many adult artists find the colorful sheets useful as well.

Discover more about craft foam below and how you can use it in creating your next work of art.

What Is Craft Foam?

Craft foam is a useful addition to any stamper's workbox. These colorful sheets of foam are inexpensive to buy (especially when purchased in bulk), available in a wide spectrum of colors, and have a vast variety of uses. Craft foam can be stamped, cut, punched, colored, painted—even sewn! The options are almost limitless. Craft foam can be purchased online at retails such as Amazon.com.

How is Craft Foam Used?

There are many ways that craft foam can be used in stamping projects—the following are different techniques to experiment with:

  • Impressing: In addition to being stamped on, the foam can be impressed with the impression of a rubber stamp where the raised part of the rubber stamp sinks into the foam. Note: This the reverse of heat embossing using embossing powders where the embossed image is raised.
  • Embellishments: Craft foam is ideal for making embellishments. Small scraps of foam can be cut to shape and attached to stamping projects.
  • Dimension: Pop a piece of craft foam behind a rubber stamped image before attaching this to background paper to give extra depth.

Other Ways of Using Craft Foam

Here are some other ways of using craft foam:

  • Making Stamps: Craft foam is also ideal for making stamps. Simply cut shapes from craft foam and attach these to a flat stamping surface and use it as a normal foam stamp.
  • Mounting Cushion: Some stampers use craft foam as a cushion when mounting unmounted stamps.
  • Stamping Surface: A sheet of craft foam can provide a good stamping surface as it helps to distribute pressure and helps to achieve an even image.

How to Buy Craft Foam

Craft foam is readily available from most craft stores and is sold in sheets or pre-cut shapes. Sheets are best for most stamping projects. Some craft foam sheets have special finishes such as a self-adhesive surface or a magnetic back. These are good, especially when adhering your design to a wooden block or another tool for stamping. However, the plain and simple sheets of craft foam are the most versatile. It's also important to check that the foam does not have a shiny coating on the surface which may make it difficult to stamp.

Stamping and Coloring Craft Foam

Stamping on craft foam is similar to stamping on paper. Pigment inks work particularly well and give strong bold outlines. You can also apply acrylic paint or use stamping markers to achieve more than one color on a stamp. The stamped images can be colored with inks, marker pens, pencils, chalks, and many other coloring methods—however, remember stamping light-colored inks to a darker colored foam may alter the finished effect.