Design Elements

Examples in Foam

Taylor Whiddon from Hope Fellowship in Frisco, TX brings us these examples of foam logos for their stage.

Here’s his method for accomplishing the designs:

  • Buys foam board/pink insulation from Home Depot for about $10-14 per board.
  • Projects the image onto a screen/wall. Then places insulation board where the image is projecting. Traces it. Paints it. Then cuts it.
  • Uses a jig saw for quick smooth edges. (Do this outside. It’s messy.)
  • Place a 1×2 on the back of each design then throws a staple onto the wood using a staple gun. This allows him to hang the sign.
  • Use “guerrilla glue” to place the piece of wood onto the design. (Be careful with “contact cement.” This will bleed right through the insulation board.)
  • He hangs it with 50 pound fishing line.

The Hard Streets Carnival Christmas

20 responses to “Examples in Foam”

  1. Patrick says:

    I tried my first foam logos two weeks ago. I used a hot knife to cut through the boards, which turned out pretty good. The worst part was simply the over-exposure to fumes.

    Any opinions on using a hot knife vs. a jig saw?

    • Taylor Whiddon says:

      Hey Patrick, I used a hot knife on the “Fanatic” and “In Her Shoes Sign.” I liked it but it took forever to get the finished product. The jig saw in my opinion is definitely the better way to go. It cuts clean edges and I can get a design cut out in no time!

  2. Greg Springer says:

    We use a lot of white extruded foam sheets, due to cheaper costs than pink, and use a hot knife. I would not recommend the jigsaw on the white foam as it is not dense enough. But it looks like it works well with Pink. If you’re doing narrow pieces definitely go pink because of added strength

    On a different note, we are now using the “spider” fishing line which has worked far better than the typical fishing line, as it does not stretch, is thinner for same test, not as reflective, and ties easier knots. Although it is a little more expensive, definitely worth it during install.

    Greg

  3. Angela Hoffman says:

    We use a ton of the blue and pink insulation foam 3/4″ thick and always use a jigsaw with a special blade that has no teeth. It cuts like butter. We then sand the edges with a mouse sander to fine tune. We use a hot glue gun to glue pieces together. You are right Greg, the spider fishing line works better because it is a dark color. It can get pricey though!

  4. Lori says:

    Beautiful work! Inspiring! What do you use to hold the letters in place to form the words so perfectly?

    • Taylor Whiddon says:

      Hey Lori, each word is actually one sheet of foam board. While cutting the letters, I left just enough foam board in the gap to hold the letters together. Once the word was cut out, I painted the letters white and then painted the gaps black to hide it. Look at the “With Everything” picture and you can kinda see it on the “Grow” lettering.

  5. Laura Blechle says:

    We have used pink foam in several stage designs. I agree that when going for a clean look, the jigsaw is the better choice. There was one design that we wanted rough edges, the hot knife worked perfect by allowing it to melt some of the edges as we cut.
    Here is a new question. When joining sheets of pink foam, edge to edge, what is the best method? We have tried several methods, but are never able to eliminate a visible seam. Thoughts?

    • Taylor Whiddon says:

      Hi Laura, we just did a design where we had to put the pieces of pink foam board together. Let’s say you’re placing two sheets together… The best way to connect them is to use a few pieces of 1×2 to brace them together. Cut the pieces of wood to about a foot then flip your boards over. Apply some guerilla glue(this stuff works the best on pink foam board) to the 1x2s then place it on the top, middle, and bottom of the crease of the two boards. Allow up to 8 hours to dry. I know…. you have to be extremely patient with this process. Once its dries then those 2 boards will not separate. If your wanting to get rid of that crack that’s now on the front, then the best way is to cover the pink foam board with felt or another type of fabric of your choosing. Hope this helps!

  6. Gary Butler says:

    What type of paint are you using on the foam. We have created VBS stuff but not all paint is created equal and what type of sheen did you use? Flat, Eggshell, Satin…etc… Thanks for the post! These are amazing.

  7. mark says:

    Can anyone give me a supplier of the foam boards that won’t break the bank? I have been using Lowe’s hardware and the blue insulation boards and my hot knife and that equals frustration.

  8. Nice foam logos. Things have come a long way. When I was designing logos for churches, we were quite conservative in our approach (see my work at http://www.logodesignworks.com/church-logos.htm). But now I see such nice and modern touches to the presentation of these logos. Nice work!

  9. Nick Farr says:

    Love this page! What type of paint do you guys use?

  10. lori says:

    I agree with Nick!! What type of paint???

  11. Angela Hoffman says:

    Lori,
    We always just use any water-based acrylic paint any size from gallon to the small craft bottles. We mix and match colors quite a bit. I like an eggshell finish if we are airbrushing over the acrylic, but if it is a final coat that you want a sheen on, satin works great too. We never use spray paint unless we want a rough texture because it melts the foam.

  12. Marlon Allen says:

    On the “In Her Shoes” and the “Fanatic” designs, how did you get them to stand. I see the black base but it’s hard to see how you installed it.

  13. natalia says:

    Hi guys! there is just one question I need help on! I am doing a design called iCONQUER and I want to lower case the “i” but how can i get the point on top of the “i” to make it look like the point is actually floating? does this make sense? please help

    • Hope says:

      For anyone who is reading this. To make the dot of an i float, use a skewer. Paint it the background and he dot will float. You can also use the clear plastic card holder sticks that are found in the floral section of a craft store

  14. Saily G. says:

    Which hot knife do you used? Any specific brand? Beautiful letters!

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