Foam stamps are stamps that are made out of flexible plastic foam. They are commonly used for children's crafts, scrapbooking, and card making. Foam stamps are also quite popular for home décor projects, since they can be used for stamping designs on painted furniture.
While clear acrylic stamps or wood mounted rubber stamps can be quite expensive, most foam stamps cost just a few dollars each. Their low price tag makes foam stamps a great choice for frugal crafters. With a fairly modest investment, you can accumulate a foam craft stamp collection large enough to create any project imaginable.
You can purchase foam stamps from most craft supply stores. The selection of available designs includes a number of alphabet sets, as well as photo corners, photo frames, and other geometric elements. Flowers, animals, and seasonal designs are also quite popular, although these designs tend to be less detailed than similar wood mounted or acrylic stamps. The soft texture of the foam means that the bold designs will leave the clearest impressions.
If you can't find foam craft stamps that fit your needs, it's actually quite easy to make your own. Simply purchase a sheet of foam from the children's craft section, then cut out the design of your choice. Try drawing a design freehand or tracing a clip art pattern you found online. If you want to make a text stamp, however, you'll need to keep in mind that text must be reversed in order to stamp correctly. When you're finished, use double-sided tape to adhere your homemade stamp to a clear acrylic block or a scrap of wood.
Foam stamps can be used with pigment or dye ink. They also work well for stamping with acrylic paint, although you'll need to use a thin coat of paint for the best results. To avoid blurry images, stamp with even pressure. Do not rock or wiggle the stamp; take care to lift it straight up from the paper.
When finished, remember to clean your stamps thoroughly before storing them. Ink can be wiped off with baby wipes, while paint is easily removed with soap and water. Some staining of your foam stamps may occur when working with dark colors, although this will not affect the quality of the stamped images. When your foam craft stamps are completely dry, store them flat in an area where the image surface won't be accidentally damaged by sharp or pointed objects.
