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Craft foam is a broad, thin sheet cut into different shapes and sizes and available in varieties of colors.
This highly decorative piece is used for executing several design projects in schools, homes, parties, or art exhibitions. If you have this ubiquitous foam, you can hardly get the most out of it as there are usually more and more creative ideas to explore.
In recent times, several creative industries have been trying to incorporate the use of craft foam into their various construction projects, and the sewing sector, known for its many creative ideas, doesn’t want to be left behind.
And for this reason, many people ask me, can I sew craft foam? My usual response to this question is adequately explained in this article.
What is craft foam?
Craft foam is a smooth, surfaced, flexible crafting material available in stores in thin sheets. This sheet comes in various colors and shapes and is used widely, majorly for decorative purposes.
What is craft foam made of?
Craft foam is made essentially from Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer foam. A highly durable plastic foam that serves as an alternative to other materials like Vinyl and rubber.
Can you sew craft foam?
Yes, you can sew craft foam. You can creatively blend craft foam into your sewing project or use the sheet alone for your decorative project. Either way, you will have a smooth ride with the material as it will be easy for you to work the needle through its soft surface.
How to sew foam together
There are several techniques you can adopt to sew forms together. These methods are highlighted below.
Method 1
To sew foam together, put the paper above and under the foam you are sewing, then start to sew as slowly as you can. The purpose of the wax paper is to help prevent friction between the feed dogs and the foam.
Method 2
If you are having a problem working your way around the first method, another technique you can use is hand sewing the foams together with a needle and thread. However, when using this method, make sure there’s little or no space between your stitches, I.e. they should be close. And also, make use of a regular thread.
Is craft foam washable?
Yes, you can wash your craft foam. Craft foam is resistant to water, which means you are free to clean them. However, you can only either machine wash them or wash them by hand. Fry cleaning is not recommended for craft foam.
Is craft foam waterproof?
Yes, craft foam is waterproof. Craft foam is made of EVA foam which is also known as rubber foam. A material that is widely known for its durability, lightweight, resilient, and it’s the ability to resist water.
Is craft foam recyclable?
Yes, craft foam can be recycled. If you have no further use for your craft foam, instead of just disposing of them, you can have them recycled and reprocessed into renewable EVA foam.
What kind of foam is craft foam?
Craft foam is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer foam.
How to attach craft foams to fabrics
Materials needed
- Fabrics
- Foam
- Scissors
- Velcro
- Glue gun
Step 1 – Cut the foam according to size
Determine the size of your project and cut the foam accordingly, plus 2 inches on the sides of the project. For instance, if the foam is to be attached to a shirt, cut it according to the shirt size, plus 2 inches on both sides. (same for a pillow of any other projects).
After that, put the foam over the fabric wrong side and fold about 2 inches of the fabric at the foam edge and hold it in place with a pin. Sew around the pinned fabric and remove the pin once you are through.
Step 2 – Attach the foam to the fabric with a glue
Attach the foam to the fabric with a strong adhesive glue to hold them firmly together. Then spread the glue over the back of the foam and place it on the material. If you notice any wrinkled spots, smoothen it out with your hands and leave the glue for about 24 hours so that it can have enough time to dry.
Step 3 – Sew the Velcro
Velcro will help to hold the foam firmly in place so that it will not slip off. Do sew the Velcro to the foam.
Step 4 – Attach the foam and the shirt
Try the shirt on and attach the foam. The Velcro should be able to hold the foam to the shirt, but if you are worried it might shift, you can also use a pin.
Can you use a heat gun on craft foam?
Yes, you can use a heat gun on craft foam. Using a heat gun on your craft foam will make your job easier as you can easily use them to heat the foam so that you can bend and mold the foam to create curves or make different shapes of your desire.
Also, a heat gun can help you to get rid of the rough or unsightly edges on your project by melting them.
What are the best adhesives for foam?
For the best result, use any of the adhesives below on your future foam projects.
- Liquid nails latex adhesive.
- 3M foam fast spray adhesive.
- Wilsonart water-based adhesive
- Loctite foamboard adhesive
- 3M fast bond contact adhesive.
Can you glue fabric to EVA foam?
Yes, you can glue fabric to EVA foam. It may be kind of hard to sew foam directly to fabric, so the best option will be to attach them with an adhesive.
But unfortunately, when it comes to attaching EVA foam, you have to be careful with the type of glue to use because not all glue can be used on them. The best glue to use for EVA attachment is Contact cement.
This glue has most of the properties of an ideal EVA foam glue: flexibility, accuracy, and strong.
