Craft Foamie Tutorial Extravaganza!

Here's 4 super duper fun projects ALL using craft foam. Have fun!

#1: PENCIL TOPPERS

I found this first idea while browsing through a Woman's Day Special Interest Publication called Cool Kid's Crafts. I created my own designs, which you'll see here.

The supplies are very simple: craft foam (which I purchased at The Dollar Tree), glue (optional), scissors & pencils. Also optional: stencils or templates. Not optional: your imagination.

First you'll need to decide what shape you want. I found that cookie cutters make great templates, especially for the kidlets. Just press the cookie cutter very firmly onto the crafty foam & it leaves a nice imprint of the image--very easy for the little ones to follow along & cut.

Once you've got your shape cut out...

...fold the piece in half & cut two small slits with scissors. (One near the top & one near the bottom.) Don't cut the slits too big or the foam piece will slide right off your pencil.

Now slip your pencil through....& that's it!

You can also use extra bits of foam to embellish your pencil topper. Or use gems, glitter, paper bits, ribbon, sequins, stickers, etc. Use a really strong glue though. I would even recommend a hot glue gun. We used some clear tacky glue, but the pieces wanted to come apart too easily, so a glue gun did the trick. Wait until your glue is COMPLETELY dry before sliding the pencil through.

This is one of those crafts with endless possibilities!! Party favors (make them to match ANY theme!), cheap-cheap-cheap gifties for school mates (to pass out on holidays or birthdays), teacher gifts, a quick after-school activity with the kids, etc...

#2: PRINCESS WAND

 (After making the pencil toppers I thought of these next 3 projects.)

For the princess wand I painted a piece of dowel in a light pink color. Once that was dry I wrapped strips of painter's tape in semi-equal intervals all the way along the dowel & then spray painted it a grape color. Once that was dry I peeled off the tape to reveal alternating stripes of pink & purple.

I used THIS LINK from Family Fun to print out a star template. After you trace & cut your star onto the crafty foam, fold it in half & cut 2 slits -one near the top & one near the bottom.
Ooze some glue all around the edge & sprinkle with glitter. Decorate with jewels.

Once the glue is dry, slide the dowel through the slits & you're done! Ta-da!

#3: MOUSTACHE ON A STICK

Naturally, moustaches come next, right?! Click HERE to print out 3 moustache templates from the Martha Stewart website.

Trace & cut the moustaches from crafty foam. (I didn't have brown foam, so I used a peach color & shaded it with a brown Sharpie.)

You can definitely just glue the moustaches directly onto your dowels, but I kept with the theme of the "slits" & cut tiny ones along the middle of the moustaches. It's a fun idea to have one dowel with many interchangeable dress-up pieces that can slide on & off. I found that a bamboo skewer (found at the grocery store) worked great for the moustaches. They're much smaller & able to handle the narrow parts of the moustaches.

I colored in the bit of exposed dowel to match the color of crafty foam. But this is not necessary.

#4: ARRR! PIRATE PATCH

Cut out a pirate patch shape from black crafty foam. Again, cut 2 slits on the patch.

Cut 5 pieces from white crafty foam: 1 skull & 4 bones. Lay the bones as seen in the picture. You can slide your dowel through at this point so you get the placement of the skull correct.

Dab a litte glue just above & below each slit. This skull & crossbones disguises the wooden dowel. (You may certainly omit the slits in this project & glue the pirate patch directly onto the dowel.)
Use a black Sharpie to draw eyes, nose & mouth on the skull.

I'm pretty sure you can now officially search for lost treasure or make someone walk the plank or something.
(For an accessory to your pirate patch, a Pirate glossary can be found by clicking HERE.)
That's all me hearties! Now get to craftin' before I order you swab the poop deck!

Fair winds!

♥