How to Make Homemade Foam Finger Costume

It is always fun to go to a ballgame and cheer on the players. However, purchasing supportive fan gear from a franchise can often be an expensive adventure. Making the fan gear at home can not only be a cheaper alternative, but can also be a fun activity for the whole family. Creating foam finger costumes is easy and the great thing is that each foam finger can be personalized. This is a great opportunity to let the creative juices flow and let the imagination run wild.

Things You'll Need

• Two pieces of crafting foam around 24" x 36"
• Pencil
• Sharp knife or jigsaw
• Foam adhesive or strong glue
• Paints, markers and sparkles for decoration

Instructions

1. Place one of the two pieces of foam down on a table. Use the thick foam used for craft projects. The foam must have some stability to function once completed. The pieces must be taller rather than wider, as the finger will be pointing upward.

2. Place one hand on the foam lying on the table. Sketch the outline of the foam finger and hand, using the hand as a guideline. Keep in mind that a foam finger costume is often several times larger than an actual hand. If one wishes for a finger to point up in the air, aim for at least 18 inches for the palm part of the costume. Depending on the design desired, remember that most foam finger costumes only have the one or two fingers pointing upwards, while the rest are folded into the palm. Keep this in mind when sketching the outline.

3. Cut the foam finger using a sharp knife or a jigsaw. Use long and smooth cuts, as sawing motions will leave the foam ragged.

4. Place the second piece of foam on the table. Use the foam finger that has just been cut as a template to make an identical foam finger. Once sketched, cut it out.

5. Choose the sides that are going to be visible. After outlining and cutting, one side may be rough around the edges compared to the other. Make sure that the foam fingers match after having picked the sides.

6. Draw a rectangle on one of the foam fingers on the side that will be facing inward. This rectangle should be at least 16 inches from the bottom. This square illustrates the place where the hand will be placed once done and ready for use. Make sure that there is enough room for the hand. If not, make the rectangle larger.

7. Spray foam adhesive or glue onto the inside of the foam hand, except the rectangle. Once covered, place the identical hand on top and let it dry.

8. Decorate it with colors and sparkles once dried. If this is for a particular team, use the specific colors of the team. Otherwise, this is a perfect opportunity to make the foam finger costume personal, so let the imagination run wild.

Tips & Warnings

• When using the foam adhesive, have an adult present. Adhesives can be tricky and dangerous if used unsupervised.

References

• Giver's Log: Making a Foam Hand
• Foam Hands