The foam board or also known as foam core is commonly used for craft projects such as model building to mounting artwork. The board is very lightweight but its rigidness allows it to become very useful for creating craft projects. The foam board is normally a thin piece of Styrofoam sandwiched between outer layers of poster board and it comes with several colors like yellow, blue, red, white and black. The foam board can be easily cut into any shapes that you need simply by using a sharp utility knife. However, you must cut it properly in order to avoid shredding the foam core thus resulting to uneven and having bumpy edges. Below are some tips that you can learn for cutting a foam board for any kind of craft project that you required.
To create a craft project using foam board, you need:
- Foam Board
- Utility Knife
- Spare Utility Knife Blades
- Lead Pencil
- Metal Ruler / Straight Edge
- Eraser
- Cutting surface
How to Cut Foam Board for your Craft Project
Ways for Creating a Craft Project with Foam Board
- The first thing that you need to do is to draw your choice of pattern right on the foam board using your lead pencil (the mechanical pencil type).
- No matter what your pattern that you choose, make sure to use a metal ruler so that you would be able to measure the required dimensions for your design accurately.
- Draw the pattern on the foam board in a gentle manner with your lead pencil.
- Make sure not to press too hard because you do not want to create a dark line on the foam board.
- We only need to draw a light pattern so that you could erase it easily later on.
- No matter what your pattern that you choose, make sure to use a metal ruler so that you would be able to measure the required dimensions for your design accurately.
Always remember that it is important to have extra supply of blades in hand because it is not recommended to use dull blades whenever you are cutting foam board. You must always change them once you notice that the blades have turned dull.
- Once you finished drawing your pattern, you need to take your utility knife along with the metal straight edge.
- Always check that the blade of your utility knife is very sharp to enable you to create a clean cut of the foam board.
- If you notice that your blades are getting dull after a few cuts, you need to change it with a new blade. This is to prevent you from tearing the foam board or getting cuts with uneven edges.
- Before starting to do any cutting, you must prepare a work surface comfortable enough for you to do the task. The foam board needs to be lay down on top of a thick cardboard. By doing this, you would be able to prevent the blade to cut through the bottom of your foam board and damaged anything beneath it.
- Then, you have to place the metal ruler along the line that you have made earlier. Make sure that you hold the ruler firmly using one hand so that it does not move.
- Using your utility knife with the other hand, you need to place its blade up against the metal ruler’s straight-edge. You should hold the knife at with its blade roughly positioned at a 45 degree angle to your foam board.
- Then, you have to press the tip of the blade down into the board allowing it to go through the foam board’s top layer and part way into the layer of the foam.
- Make sure that you keep the blade pressed against the metal ruler as you cut it in a straight manner.
- You must cut it through the two layers to score the foam board before going back over the cut for the second time in order to finish cutting through the board’s layer along with its bottom layer.
- The above method will normally result in a cleaner cut if you managed to score it first rather than trying to cut through all of the three layers at one time.
- Always check that the blade of your utility knife is very sharp to enable you to create a clean cut of the foam board.
- Once you finished cutting, you can proceed to trim any of the rough edges.
- Then, ensure that you erase any pencil lines that you made earlier on the board’s surface.
- Then, ensure that you erase any pencil lines that you made earlier on the board’s surface.
This is why it is wise for you to draw the pattern on the board lightly so that it will be easy for you to erase it. If you do too much rubbing using an erase, the surface will be marred and also taking off the color of your foam board.
- Finally, you will be having a finished foam board that has a clean along with nicely cut straight-edge.
Always remember that whenever you want to create a craft project with foam board,
- Make sure that you apply steady pressure by using the point of your utility knife. This is to assist you in getting a nice and even cut of your foam board.
- As you start to cut the foam board, make sure that you slice at an angle right into your foam board that you intend to keep because the undercutting will help you maintain the top viewable edge always in a clean condition.
- D o not assume the foam core made by the manufacturer’s are always true while its corners will always be square. You must cut the edges on your own in order to get the right square or corner edges.
- Make sure that you apply steady pressure by using the point of your utility knife. This is to assist you in getting a nice and even cut of your foam board.
