That lightweight holder in the grocery store for your favorite veggies, fruit or meat used to separate and protect is generally a white or black STYROFOAM. It acts as a great insulator for food, but the downside of Styrofoam is that it decomposes VERRRRRY slowly… By some estimates it takes 500 years or longer to disintegrate in a landfill. 😲

Keeping Styrofoam Out of Landfills

As a resourceful Artist, it is fun to recycle Styrofoam into Art Projects so the material stays out of landfills and is given a beautiful new life. Another benefit of recycling Styrofoam is the cost of materials for art creation stays low, which is especially helpful for young students.

Recycled Styrofoam Art Stamps 3-Ways

Here are 3 ways I like to recycle Styrofoam for art projects:

Cut or punch out shapes from the Styrofoam and glue or use double-stick tape to apply the pieces to a backing,
Create a stamp with an incised design in the Styrofoam and glue or use double-stick tape to apply the pieces to a backing,
Create an incised print plate to use with a gel plate monotype printing press.

Note the image you print from a Styrofoam stamp or plate will be a mirror image of the cut shape or incised design, so any words would need to be made in mirror image.

1) Quick & Easy Recycled Styrofoam Stamps

The first way I like to use the Styrofoam is to choose a thin piece and simply cut shapes (it helps to use small sharp scissors for precise cuts ✂️), then apply the shapes to recycled cardboard pieces that act as a backing.

Another fun technique is to use a hole punch or other craft punches to punch out shapes from the thin Styrofoam to add to the design.

I find the quickest way to glue down the Styrofoam to the cardboard is to use a double-sided craft tape. Depending on the size of the pieces of cut Styrofoam, you may want a tape from 1/4 to 1/2 inches wide.

Good Styrofoam Adhesives

Above is the double-sided craft tape I used for my stamps. It does a great job adhering to both the Styrofoam and cardboard. I have also had success using Liquid Nails clear glue (this glue has a strong smell) and Aleene’s Tacky craft glue, although the glues take longer to dry than the double-sided tape (which is instant!), and I hate to wait! 😉

Here are links to purchase the tape and glues. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

iCraft 1/4 Inch Double Sided Tape - https://amzn.to/3vGfX6X
Liquid Nails Adhesive Small Projects - https://amzn.to/3u62cxY
Aleene’s Tacky Glue Trial Pack - https://amzn.to/3SwTMIr

Spray Gesso Can Come In Handy

I have found that when I use the double-sided tape over a piece of cardboard and lay my Styrofoam pieces across the tape to attach them, if the Styrofoam is the thin type, the uncovered tape can stick to my paper surface when I go to stamp with it.

To prevent the exposed double-sided tape from sticking, I spray the Styrofoam and exposed tape with one or two coats of Krylon White Gesso to coat the surfaces. It dries quickly, and then the stamping surface is ready to go with no more tacky tape!

Note that I take the Gesso Spray and stamp outside and spray over a piece of old newspaper.

Here’s where you can get the Krylon Spray Gesso. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualified purchases.

Krylon White Spray Gesso - https://amzn.to/42bMIoJ

2) Incising Designs In Recycled Styrofoam Stamps

The second way I like to fancy up my Styrofoam stamps is to incise (or impress) a design into the surface. This works best with the thicker Styrofoam, especially when applying acrylic paint to the surface, although the technique can also be used with the thin Styrofoam if using inker pads and thinner paints.

Remember, the design will print in mirror image when you use the stamp, so bear that in mind when incising your imagery.

There are simple tools needed to make the impressions in the Styrofoam. I find a stylus, either wood or metal, work well, although my favorite is the metal ball stylus.

Note that I have tried a pointed bamboo skewer to make the impressions and found it to be too narrow and sharp. It did not work well for me.

Here are links to stylus’. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn commissions on qualified purchases.

Ball Stylus’ Set of 5 - https://amzn.to/3SwoiDg
Wood Stylus’ Set of 30 - https://amzn.to/42e5sE9

A Fun Adult Recycled Styrofoam Stamp Surface

Corks make great surfaces on which to attach your Styrofoam stamps! So, drink up if you’re an adult, or ask friends and family to save corks for your art projects. 😁

3) Making Design Plates For The Gel Print Press

We can use the large incised stamp with the fun whimsical designs from Method 2 above to create an impression on a gel printing plate like the one in the photo above.

Here is a quick video I made showing the process of using the incised foam stamp on the gel plate:

Note that you are not limited to only using one incised Styrofoam stamp on the gel plate; you can actually use multiple stamps at once to create an extra unique design!

Applying Paint To The Recycled Styrofoam or Gel Plate

In order to apply paint directly to the incised Styrofoam or gel plate, I recommend you use a very thin layer of acrylic paint applied with a brayer roller.

When it comes to the gel plate, you can apply paint directly on top and roll it out with the brayer as in the video above.

However, I do not recommend applying paint directly to the Styrofoam and rolling it out on the stamp because the acrylic paint will usually get stuck inside the incised design in places and will not give a clean print.

Instead, I recommend you first roll out a dab of the acrylic paint on a palette paper sheet, then roll a thin layer onto the Styrofoam with the small amount on the brayer. This method should give a better clean print directly from the Styrofoam stamp.

A Little Information About Brayer Rollers

Note that brayers come in many sizes (widths) with various roller types available. My favorite brayers have a smooth rubber surface and are slightly springy. My favorite brands of brayers are Speedball and Ranger.

Here are links to some of the brayers and the Palette Paper I use often. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn commissions on qualified purchases.

Speedball Brayer 2 Inch Wide - https://amzn.to/3UkBGM1
Speedball Brayer 4 Inch Wide - https://amzn.to/48XbkEn
Ranger Small Inky Roller Brayer - https://amzn.to/42hqUIq
Palette Paper Pad - https://amzn.to/47m9lI1

Save a Clean Brayer!

ART TIP:
It is VERY helpful to always keep at least one clean brayer roller on hand. This spare brayer comes in so handy when you need to get an even pressure over the back of your handmade Styrofoam stamps for a good crisp print.
Also, I like to use the brayer to roll over a clear acrylic stamping block to which I attach my gel plate so that I can lift and use the smaller gel plates as “stamps” in my art journals and directly onto my artworks.

More Helpful Supplies

Here are additional supplies I used for the various recycled Styrofoam stamping methods discussed above. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn commissions on qualified purchases.

Ranger Gel Plate Multi-Pack of 3 Sizes - https://amzn.to/3vXd0iI
Large Clear Acrylic Stamp Blocks with Grids Set of 2 - https://amzn.to/3Sh4uSX
Artist's Loft Acrylic Paints - https://amzn.to/3Skj0tf
Plastic Fine Mist Spray Bottle - https://amzn.to/4b8Jff1
Gentle Wipes for Studio Use - https://amzn.to/3vVw154
My Recommended Cloth-Like Viva Paper Towels - https://amzn.to/3Ur9rLA

🎨🎨🎨

If you would like to see other paints, mediums and art supplies that I recommend, click below to go to the Supply Links page on my website:
https://www.dietzart.gallery/supply-links

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