I have a fun and EASY Halloween decor idea for you today – it came out so awesome. I will show you how to make large cut out letters, and anyone can do it because they’re made of foam. Yep!
I am part of the Floracraft Make It: Fun Design Team and I have to say, I’m falling in love with foam! It’s such a blank slate, and so easy to work with – for example, if this project were out of traditional sheets of wood, I would have had to have the right tools and begged Trevor to cut it out for me. Foam I can do all on my own, and the lightweight quality opens up tons of possibilities and makes things so easy. I haven’t done too much with foam in the past, but I’m really love it right now – I’m hooked!
So let’s get started on this project – you’ll need:
–3 11×17 sheets of Floracraft foam (in the craft store, it’s by the foam wreaths and foam balls)
–knife or if you want awesome, a foam cutter
–zip ties or wire
–paint as desired
So blogger fail, I forgot to take pictures of myself cutting the foam. Basically I just freehanded on my letters and cut along those lines. I grabbed this ah-mazing foam cutting tool (it was hanging in the foam section) and it’s my new bff – I just love it. I’ve used a hot knife in the past, which I also love, but this is so long it can go through really thick foam. It heats up really hot and then just melts, so you move slowly and don’t push too hard – you want it to melt through, not force through. You can also use a regular knife to cut your foam if that’s what you have on hand (but you’ll wish you had this!)
Alright, so after it’s all cut, move the letter that you cut out of the way (two projects in one?!) because this project works with the negative space – the leftover after the letter is out. I first painted the edges in a pop of color – I love the fun and dimension it adds:
Next paint the main parts – front and sides. I used a foam brush and dabbing seemed to work better than brushing. I went with a splochy look to add variety and texture.
To get the cut out insides of the letters to “float” I rummaged around and found some zip ties. You could also use wire or whatever else you may find. Just cut a small section, push one end into one side of the gap and the other end into the other side. Do that to the tops and bottoms of the cut outs. You can kind of see it in this pic below:
Stand back and enjoy your awesome (and easy!) creation. Have you tried crafting with foam yet? Here’s a great reason to give it a try – –
if you love halloween decor, here are some other projects (with tutorials!) you’ll want to try:
Sharon says
Ah, the magic StyroCutter Wand has cast its spell on you, Mandy! You go! This is a really fun idea, and I love the floating centers. Thank you!
Sharon recently posted…Candy Corn Crafts Week: Glittered Candy Corn Door Decor
rita says
i can’t read your postings because of all the ads on both sides and inbetween. how do i get the postings to move over to the right so i can read them?
Mandy Beyeler says
Hey Rita – try reloading the whole page – – it’s driving me crazy too, and I’m trying to fix it from my end. So sorry about the hassle – hopefully I can figure it out soon!!
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says
How fun! I love that cutter too, and having the letters look splotchy and a little see through makes them creepier!
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain recently posted…Fall Towel at Mabey She Made It
Hani Shabbir says
I love this idea! Easy and cheap. I think cutout foam will make great letters for my son’s birthday. 🙂 Thanks for the idea Mandy.
Hani Shabbir recently posted…15 Baby Girl Halloween Costumes (DIY Costume Ideas)
Mandy Beyeler says
a birthday is a great idea for these!!