How to Customize Foam Fingers

Celebrate your team's kickoff by waving your foam finger.

Foam fingers are whimsical toys used to show your team spirit at gaming events, and personalizing them adds to the frivolity. Foam fingers come in different colors but can look plain without some colorful decorations on them. Whether customizing your foam finger for a particular event or needing one to last an entire sports season, personalized foam shapes are not difficult to create and make a fun activity. Learn more about working with sponge foam so you can decorate your finger without destroying it.

Things You'll Need

• Garbage bag
• Tissue paper
• Foam finger
• Stencils
• Contractor's tape
• Water-based craft paint
• Foam plate
• Sponge tipped paintbrush
• Paper towel

Instructions

1. Lay a garbage bag on the table to protect it from spilled paint.

2. Fold up two sheets of tissue paper by stacking them on top of one another. Fold the paper in half, then half it again. Fold it once more and then tuck the folded paper inside the foam finger. Be careful because the foam can tear. This tissue stuffing will protect the foam from paint seepage.

3. Buy a stencil of your favorite team number like "31" or "7." Alternately, you might look for stencils that show your team's mascot.

4. Center the stencil over the foam finger. Secure it in place by using a small strip of contractor's tape at the top of the stencil and the bottom.

5. Squirt a small amount of craft paint into a foam plate.

6. Dab the sponge tipped paintbrush in the pat. Press the brush tip down on a folded paper towel to absorb some of the excess.

7. Press the sponge paintbrush tip down on to the foam finger. Fill in the entire stencil, rewetting the tip of the sponge brush as you need to.

8. Allow the paint to dry for an hour before flipping it over and painting the opposite side.

9. Tie a wide silk ribbon around the pointing finger. The ribbon should be bright, colorful and be at least 2 ½ to 3 inches wide. Tie the ribbon into bow.

Tips & Warnings

• Never spray paint foam. Spray paint will melt your foam finger.

References

• Michael's: Tips & Techniques for Styrofoam Brand Foam