Properties of foam plastic
Before making exclusive masterpieces, you need to learn about the properties of the material. Polystyrene foam is a plastic mass filled with air. It is also called expanded polystyrene. It is incredibly light, quick to cut, and flexible to process. That's why it's comfortable to work with him.
Foam can be joined using glue, putty, screws, and liquid nails. Therefore, there is no particular difficulty in making any products from it.
At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the materials for working with polystyrene foam. Do not use products that can destroy it (dichloroethane, benzene, acetone, etc.) for processing it.
Mineral and organic acids and ammonia should be used with caution. Before starting to manufacture the product, you should check the material for contact with these agents.
Polystyrene foam does not react with cement, gypsum, alabaster, or asphalt. If it is necessary to strengthen the craft, it can be treated with these means.
To give the finished product a beautiful appearance, it must be painted. For this, any dyes that do not contain elements that destroy foam plastic are used.
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"Friends and Foes" material
The positive properties of polystyrene foam determine its active use for the design of various crafts. But it must be remembered that materials such as acetone, various acids, benzene, ammonia react with the foam and cause its deformation.
But gypsum, alabaster, and cement can be used without fear to strengthen the surface of the product.
Flat crafts
Making flat products is more common for beginners of this interesting activity. For products of this kind, ceiling tiles and thin pieces of foam packaging from household appliances are more suitable.
To work, you just need to decide what exactly the master wants to depict. It could be a photo frame, a house, a bird, some kind of plant, fish.
After selecting the desired picture and material for its manufacture, draw a sketch, transfer it to a piece of foam plastic and cut it out with a sharp knife.
The final maneuver - painting the craft and covering it with varnish - is not difficult.
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Features of the material (recommendations from craftswomen)
What exactly can be made from this material, the plasticity of which is easy to judge even by its name?
In this case, we must proceed from the most valuable properties for modeling, namely:
- It is simply cut;
- Easily holds the outline given to it;
- Excellent coloring and does not fade for a long time.
These features make the creative process an exciting and rewarding experience. With minimal effort and mental effort, anyone can make whatever they want from polystyrene foam, from textbook hares for decorating a Christmas tree to spacious houses for dolls.
You just need to think a little about which foam plastic to choose for crafts in each specific case, so that grains that are too large or small do not interfere with the implementation of a specific plan.
Volumetric crafts
Having gained experience in making flat products, the master can try to create a three-dimensional masterpiece. To do this, he will need thicker pieces of foam, the desire to work, patience, and perseverance. This type of work does not like hasty actions.
It is necessary to accurately calculate the proportions of the product, then make several sketches, taking into account the appearance of the finished sample from all sides. It is necessary to cut carefully, slowly. After all, when making voluminous crafts, you need to be able to cut out each line correctly; make a smooth transition from the depression to the hump.
Therefore, it is better to start with simpler figures - a house, a mushroom, a Christmas tree, and other simple crafts.
Sometimes, in the absence of large pieces of polystyrene foam, craftsmen use thinner pieces in their work. In this case, it is necessary to make a wire frame and paste it with prepared pieces.
It is best to take ceiling tiles for such work, as they tend to bend a little. At the same time, you need to make sure that it does not break.
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You can cut out small blanks in the form of rectangular, square, oval pieces, paste them over the blank, and then wipe the seams with sandpaper.
Products made from foam balls
Often in their work, craftsmen use a technique such as gluing individual balls. Now there are many similar foam pellets on sale in various colors. But if you wish, you can not buy them, but roll them out yourself, using a piece of foam plastic as a basis.
The finished “peas” can be painted in any color and dried, and then using glue to create new masterpieces or decorate finished crafts. Below you will find a description of how to make a ball from such pellets.
Basic moments
Absolutely any materials are suitable for needlework:
- paper;
- sequins;
- beads;
- newspaper;
- ribbons;
- lace;
- threads;
- buttons.
You can use a foam sphere or a simple plastic Christmas ball without decorations as a basis. We bring to your attention several master classes on making New Year's balls. They can not only decorate the Christmas tree, but also create a festive interior in the house.
Tools for work
Before you get started, you need to take care of the tools. You will need:
- Pieces of foam plastic (expanded polystyrene). You need to choose them by density, thickness, depending on what exactly you want to create;
- A sharp cutter (a sharpened garden or stationery knife, scissors);
- Fine sandpaper, a set of needle files for cleaning the product;
- Adhesive compounds (any glue used for gluing foam plastic, putty for exterior or interior use, liquid nails);
- Screws;
- Material for the frame (thick wire, reinforcement, etc.), if you intend to make a three-dimensional figure;
- An electric soldering iron with a set of various attachments is used only by highly qualified craftsmen who know the principle of working with such a tool.
Attention! When working with a soldering iron, be especially careful and careful! During processing, harmful substances may be released. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of a respirator.
Additionally, to create a beautiful decoration of the finished product, you need to prepare the necessary materials:
- Felt pens, markers, dyes of various colors;
- Multi-colored laces, ribbons, beads, sparkles;
- Acrylic, water-based paints for interior and exterior work;
- Clear varnish;
- Large and small brushes;
- Special napkins with a suitable pattern.
The list of these materials may not be complete. Depending on what kind of work of art you intend to create, select the necessary decorations at your discretion.
One step higher
The next step involves puttingty. To do this, you need to purchase a small spatula, preferably a rubber one, and a little putty from a hardware store.
Pour it into an old bowl, mix with water and stir until smooth. Then apply a thin layer to the entire surface of the figure. Wait until the product dries, if necessary, use sandpaper on uneven surfaces.
Making figures from foam plastic
Various foam products attract children with their ease of manufacture from a young age. Already at 5-6 years old, a child can begin to cut something out of plastic pieces. These can be simple fish, flowers, mushrooms - easy-to-make flat figures.
To do this, it is enough to help the child make a stencil, transfer it to a foam sheet, and show how to cut it out correctly.
It’s not scary if the edges turn out uneven, because the material has the property of crumbling. In such cases, you can either rub off the unevenness with sandpaper, or glue 1-2 balls of the appropriate size to the damaged area.
Decorate the finished product with paints or a felt-tip pen and let it dry. Then cover with varnish and dry. At the end, decorate with ribbons, beads, rain or other suitable material as decoration.
If you decide to create a masterpiece to decorate your garden, you need to select denser, thicker pieces of foam. First, cut out the stencil, transfer it to the prepared material, and carefully cut it out with a knife.
If necessary, when creating a three-dimensional sculpture, first make a frame, and then glue pieces of foam plastic onto it. Cover the finished figure with putty in two layers.
In this case, the second layer is applied only after the first has dried. Next, you should thoroughly clean the product with emery cloth or a file, paint it and install it in the chosen place.
Sometimes the finished figurine needs to be strengthened. In such cases, it must be treated with cement or gypsum mortar, or a stand made of asphalt or cement, then fixed in the chosen location.
Picking mushrooms
What kind of area is there where there are no representatives of different plants? Mushrooms peeking out from the lawn grass will look original between the trees.
To do this, according to the created sketch, cut out the cap and stem of the mushroom. Glue them together and paint them brown, orange or any other color.
To prevent fungus from falling, make a stand from plaster or cement and decorate it to match the color of the environment or cover it with a layer of earth.
What can be made from foam plastic
There is no clear answer to the question. You can do whatever your heart desires. Starting from a small bird or mushroom and ending with various beautiful products in the form of a sleigh with deer, crocodiles on the shore of a pond, and other figures.
In the photo of crafts made from foam plastic you will see options for various products for decorating rooms and a summer cottage. They can be given to parents for a holiday or to a friend for a birthday.
These are figurines made by children's hands and adult craftsmen. Such masterpieces do not just make a person happy; they make him a little happier, kinder, nobler.
Figures for the garden
People set up summer cottages not only for planting cucumbers and potatoes, but also for relaxation of the soul.
Therefore, everyone wants their summer cottage to look well-groomed, beautiful, pleasing to the eye and joyful to the heart. To do this, there is no need to buy expensive sculptures to decorate your leisure time.
All you need is patience and the necessary materials. And your imagination will tell you how to make colorful foam crafts.
It could be a crocodile resting on the shore...
Or maybe the cranes will fly in to eat red berries or admire bright flowers.
You never know how many visitors might come to visit you.
Lock
You can make a castle craft for children from polystyrene foam with your own hands. To do this, you will need large sheets of polystyrene foam from a hardware store.
On the tops of the walls, cut square battlements, like a real castle. Gates can be cut out on two walls; if desired, they can be folding. To do this, the cut out rectangle can be attached to the castle wall with two laces.
The size of the castle can be suitable for toy soldiers and princesses, or it can be full-size, almost as tall as your child. If the castle does not have a roof, it will be safe to play in it.
For children
Guys are a separate category that requires special attention and care. Therefore, if possible, make several foam toys with them.
It could be a bright fish that has come to visit...
A cat purring tenderly in the sun...
A boat happily plowing the waters of the pond...
A little imagination and your child will be happy and cheerful.
New Year's surprises
New Year's holidays create a special, joyful mood for both children and adults. Therefore, crafts made from polystyrene foam for the New Year arouse increased interest in parents’ work.
Selecting toys and making various decorations add fun and organization.
Volumetric figures from ceiling tiles
You can make 3D crafts from thin foam plastic, but it will take more time and patience.
Herringbone
Progress:
- trace and cut out 2 Christmas tree figures;
- cut one of them in half lengthwise (along the trunk);
- process the workpieces with sandpaper;
- glue half of the “tree” perpendicularly;
- color the figure.
House
Many people have dreamed of making a house with their own hands; using polystyrene foam it turns out simply fabulous. But it is made quite simply. The main thing is to maintain proportions.
- Cut out 4 parts - walls, 2 parts - roof, 2 triangles - gables.
- Connect the parts using a glue gun.
- You can decorate as your imagination allows. Place cotton pads or cotton wool (snow) on the roof. Cut out the windows and glue the curtains; the trim can be made from pieces of thin molding. In the yard, surrounded by a tiled picket fence, place a Christmas tree and figurines of children and animals. Such a composition will cause everyone's admiration.
What does it cost us to build a house?
Just choose the right material and a little imagination. To make a house from polystyrene foam, first of all you need to select the material of the required thickness.
If it is a flat house, then you can take a ceiling tile, apply a design to it, carefully cut it out, and clean the edges if necessary. Paint the finished house in the desired colors, varnish it, and decorate it with glitter. The house is ready.
Making a voluminous house is a little more difficult. To do this, you need to cut out the walls, roof, smoker, and other attributes from pieces of foam plastic. At the same time, calculate the dimensions so that they fit together when gluing.
We glue the blanks together. To do this we use PVA glue and liquid nails. You can use tape for gluing. The finished product is also decorated and decorated with various jewelry.
Materials that hold together
If a person is faced with the task of making a small, small figurine for a school event, this is one case, but if it is necessary to make heavy and massive figures for wealthy home owners, this is a completely different case.
In this case, ordinary PVA glue cannot be used. Therefore, you should stock up on stronger adhesives in advance. This can include:
- sealant (preferably silicone version);
- liquid Nails;
- special glue for gluing foam;
- adhesive for facades (its main advantage is resistance to cold and frosty weather);
- foam for installation.
Beautiful Christmas tree
The Christmas tree can be made from both pieces of foam plastic and foam balls. A flat herringbone is not particularly difficult. Simply draw a design onto the tile and cut it out with scissors or a knife. You finish drawing the toys and decorate them with rain.
A beautiful Christmas tree is made from foam pellets. Having previously painted the balls green with water-based paint, fold them into a small cone and the New Year's beauty is ready.
A Christmas tree craft made from polystyrene foam with hanging or painted decorations looks original. To do this, you need to cut out 2 squares of the same size. Make all subsequent squares 1-2 cm smaller.
Glue or assemble them onto a rod diagonally from each other. Such a Christmas tree can be painted and covered with pieces of cotton wool on top. Decorate it with serpentine, rain, toys.
Foam alphabet
As many outstanding teachers believed, a game can only be partly a game, and the most valuable games are those that develop children. Why not use foam crafts for kids to teach the alphabet? What could be simpler than putting a letter of the alphabet on a piece of packaging material and cutting it out? Let the child paint the figures in different colors. In this way, you can keep your child busy with his favorite activity - coloring, and at the same time he will learn several letters, and maybe the entire alphabet!
Beautiful ball
Creating a craft foam ball is also quite simple. To do this, take plastic pellets and paint them the color you want.
Let the paint dry. Then apply a little glue to each “pea,” put it in a plastic bag and start rolling, slightly pressing the balls together.
When you have a ball of the desired size, carefully remove it, let the glue dry, treat the top with varnish or cover it with glitter, bugles, and other jewelry. The beautiful ball is ready.
Step-by-step instruction
Step No. 1. Balls of different sizes and shapes are cut out of foam plastic. Future Christmas tree decorations can be either round, oval or polygonal.
Step No. 2. Paint is applied to all the balls that will subsequently be decorated.
Step No. 3. While the blanks are saturated with paint and dry, the drawings are prepared (cut out).
Step No. 4. Glue and water are diluted in a one-to-one ratio.
Step No. 5. The prepared pattern is moistened in the adhesive solution and attached to the ball.
Important! Start gluing the design from the center, carefully moving towards its edges.
Step No. 6. Mix a handful of semolina with white paint and apply to the workpiece. You will get the effect of a “snowy” toy.
Step No. 7. If desired, you can glue tinsel or sparkles onto the balls.
Step No. 8. Dried crafts are varnished.
Step No. 9. A loop is made, with the help of which the toy will take its place on the Christmas tree.
All that remains is to have time to hang all the made balls in their places before the chimes strike.
Old Snowman
The blank for making a polystyrene snowman is ready. These are your white balls. Now you need to assemble it correctly. We cut off a little bit of foam from two opposite ends to make the snowman more stable.
Glue the balls together: the bottom one is the largest, then the smaller one, etc. Cut out and glue the arms and legs. We make 2 cones: one larger for the headdress, the second smaller for the nose. Eyes and mouth can be drawn with a felt-tip pen.
What kind of miracle?
Polystyrene foam is a (mostly) white building material whose structure consists of foamed plastic masses. Polystyrene foam is 98 percent air and only 2 percent polystyrene. The thickness of the material ranges from 20 to 1000 millimeters.
The foam has the following dimensions:
- 1000 x 500;
- 1000 x 1000;
- 2000 x 1000.
The building material has a number of interesting properties:
- thermal conductivity;
- protection from natural elements;
- sound absorption;
- poor water absorption;
- good strength;
- long service life.
Useful and exciting
Working with polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam is not particularly difficult, and masterpieces made by yourself will delight you for many years to come. In addition, such crafts will teach children perseverance and patience.
Just don’t rush them, don’t force them to invent something. Wait until your baby becomes interested in this work. Then he will be pleased with his invention.
New Year's balls made of threads
Balls made of threads look very gentle and impressive, evoking a festive and romantic mood.
Create a New Year's mood with your own hands
To work you will need:
- round balloon;
- PVA glue;
- thick threads (light shades);
- needle;
- scissors.
Get everything ready to get started
Operating procedure
We inflate it so that the size matches the desired size of the future toy. We tie it tightly so that it does not come down prematurely. We massage it with our hands, giving it the correct round shape.
Inflate to the required size
We thread the edge of the thread from which we will make the decoration into the eye of the needle. We pierce the plastic bottle with glue through the needle and thread it through. The thread, passing through the bubble, will be evenly covered with PVA, which will eliminate the need to additionally open all the threads with glue.
Preparing the threads
It is better to use PVA glue undiluted, otherwise the ball will not hold the desired shape.
Now we pull the thread through the glue and at the same time wind it in different directions, as if winding the threads into a ball. We turn the ball intensively in our hands, trying to wind the thread tightly. In the place where the air tie is tied, reduce the tension slightly.
We wind the thread to the desired density. We cut the thread and form a loop at the tip. Leave the workpiece in a warm, dry place until the glue dries completely. You can speed up the drying process by using a hair dryer.
Wind the thread tightly
When it becomes completely dry, pierce it and carefully pull it out.
Remove after drying
We tie a thread or decorative ribbon to a loop and decorate the Christmas tree.
We get the finished craft
If desired, you can complement the thread toy with sparkles, beads, sequins or other decor. A composition of several different diameters looks especially beautiful.
Decorate with different decor
Photos of crafts made from foam plastic
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