How to Use High Density Foam for Crafts
- 1). Decide on the thickness and size of the foam you want, as certain crafts require thicker foam. Choose a 1-inch thick, 2-square-foot block of tan-colored foam for this example craft.
- 2). Find pictures of farm animals in old animal magazines. Cut out pictures that are about 3 inches wide by 2 inches high because larger pictures mean less maneuvering of the foam around the wire cutter. Cut pictures of dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, rabbits, horses and other animals that can be found on a farm.
- 3). Place the foam on a flat surface and attach each picture to the foam by placing a piece of double-faced tape to the back of the picture. Remove the backing from the tape and press the picture firmly against the foam. Allow spaces between the pictures, and continue until all the pictures are securely attached to the foam. Use a fine black permanent marker to slowly trace the outline of each animal onto the foam. Remove the pictures and the tape from the foam when you have completed all the tracing.
- 4). Practice cutting out a few shapes first with your hot-wire foam cutter using scrap pieces of foam. It's important to get a feel for the cutter by moving the foam at the right speed across the hot wire. Cutting slower with less heat may give better results but might cause damage to the foam from longer exposure to the hot wire. Test the cutting rate to determine what speed gives the best results.
- 5). Place the hot-wire cutter on a counter top or table and close to a wall power outlet. Plug in the hot wire cutter, move the button to "On," and a red light should turn on. Wait a few minutes for the wire cutter to heat up. Holding the foam with both hands and keeping it as flat as possible, gently guide it toward the wire. Keep your hands away from the heated wire, which can get very hot. Slowly move the foam sheet against the wire and around the first shape.
- 6). Continue cutting through the foam to the next shape while slowly and carefully maneuvering the sheet around so the wire can cut out the next shape. As it moves through the foam, the wire will slightly hiss. If you need to take a break, turn the switch to "Off." Finish cutting all of your shapes and turn the switch to "Off." Do not touch the wire, as it remains hot for a while after it has been turned off.
- 7). Use a sanding block to smooth the edges of your shapes. Collect all the animal shapes and use them as a learning tool for young children by encouraging them to guess which shape belongs to what animal. Have the young kids color in eyes, ears and other body parts on the animals if they like. Use the same process to create seasonal shapes such as snowmen, Christmas trees, Halloween pumpkins and Easter baskets or shapes such as squares, circles and rectangles.
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