High Density Foam

I mentioned this once before in a random thread. I've found the BEST sponges ever!!! I make them out of high density foam from JoAnn's (the fabric store). It's the green cushions you can buy for chairs. I cut it into triangles the size of my sponges. Cost for about 100 sponges $8.00(this is a cushion about the size of a kitchen chair seat)! They hold the paint well, release it well, clean as well as the ones you buy online, last forever & are soft to the skin.

I cut them into triangles & then trim them up so they have straight lines & are the right size for my palm & a child's face. I like to round them so they fit better in my bag & I know which side is the best for sponging.

Linda, I believe you can carve that foam with an electric carving knife... or did you do it all by hand?

I don't have an electric carving knife, so I just use scissors.

It's funny... these are the first "sponges" I bought for face painting many years ago. I just went to Joanne's and found these large green foam pieces for sale, so I bought one and cut it up. I used it for a long time, then switched over to "real" face painting sponges a few years ago. I wonder if I still have those old green ones... Maybe they're worth digging up again!

I like them as much as the "real" ones & wonder sometimes if they're the same thing.... I'd love to find the foam used for WWF Sponges (my favorite). I'm sure it's a national secret protected better that KFC's Original Recipe

Thank you for the tip. I have a PPF event on Saturday and was needing more sponges. I used my current sponges to determine the size I cut. So with the 2 inch thick foam, I cut it into 1 by 1.25 inches and discovered that I can fit 48 of these snugly in an empty baby wipe container. That is about 1/3 of the foam that I spend $4.50 on (with 50% off coupon from Joann's).

Psalmbook wrote:I don't have an electric carving knife, so I just use scissors.

Yard Sale Season is here!!!! (Well, probably never stops in FL)

I have been searching and searching for a cheaper version of the "face painting sponges." My closest Joanne's is a good ride but it would be way worth it. THANK YOU so much for this tip.

I bought some of that once.... They looked so ugly after cutting them up that I just threw them away. I stick strictly to the FWW sponges... I love them with all of my heart <3

I used my electric knife and it carved up nicely. I used my big ruler to draw a grid first, so I had fairly even lines. I used one today to paint my daughter's face before going to see Mirror Mirror. It turned out well.

Oh, I love my FWW sponges too, but couldn't get them in time, so these were an awesome replacement.

I tried the HD foam sponges when I first started up and I stopped using them shortly after that because of how rough they were on the skin. I did one event and got the rough complaint about 20 times so I went home and tried them on my face...and yup, they're rough alright. I love my FWW sponges because they are HD but they are very soft and gentle on the skin. I still have the sheets of HD foam sitting in my closet but I think I'll save them for makiing dining room chaair cushions.

Lynne Jameison was telling us at the workshop that in the past (there was some back story to this that I am skipping.) she got a piece and a pole/tube and with some force basically stamped them out

also my mother befor she retired worked at a place that make louges/sofas as a book keeper. and there are different grades of foam even in the foam industry high to low soft to smooth its a matter of finding the right one. So if you go down this path have a look around as even foam has different grades and some are also rougher to say cling to a fabric and some smoother -less grip to fabric as well as densitys etc that would make a difference to how it felt on the face.

some times michaels has 3 sponges for 1.99 and they are the round painting sponges and located in the paint department. I used a 50% off coupon from Joanns and paid .99 for three cut them in half now I have 6. about 33 cent each or 17 cents per half. Not too shabby just hard to find though.

I bought the 3 sponges w/ the 40% coupon & found Michael's has changed to a cheaper sponge. It's not as dense, is smaller & it's disintegration after the 1st month
The ones I bought a few years ago are still working fine...

I'm wondering if we're buying different foams? Mine is super soft to the skin & very dense.

Ive only used mine a couple of times but they are by Royal Langnickel and say professional artist sponge. These arent as dense as make-up sponges and seem a bit less dense than the snazaroo sponge I got in a kit. Not as soft as the snazaroo I think.

Okay and being a "newbie" What is FWW??

FWW + FANTASY WIDE SPONGES
Here they are
http://www.facepaintforumshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=740

here is the link for FWW sponges
http://www.facepaintforumshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=740

FWW is actually Fantasy WorldWide... that's the company name. They are based in Belgium and make waterbased cream and liquid face paints and have great green sponges and their own line of brushes and glitters, etc.

thanks

Okay Linda. My "local" Joann's is moving store sites and EVERYTHING left inside the old store was 75% off yesterday. Having read this thread I picked up some 3" green high density foam (.4 yard remnant) for $4.50 (normallly $41.92 a yard). Am going to give your notion a shot once I get through my weekend events.

Are you going to use an electric knife Martha or go for the scissors? Happy chopping!

martha wrote:Okay Linda. My "local" Joann's is moving store sites and EVERYTHING left inside the old store was 75% off yesterday. Having read this thread I picked up some 3" green high density foam (.4 yard remnant) for $4.50 (normallly $41.92 a yard). Am going to give your notion a shot once I get through my weekend events.

Oooooooo, more little spongies to bathe!!!! LOL

Can't ever have too many sponges and my greenies are my favorites. Gonna have to put my husband's electric filet knife to the test as 3" is pretty thick.