FAQ

It's what most people mean when they search for styrofoam. Styrofoam™ is a trademarked extruded polystyrene (XPS) from DuPont, used mainly in building construction. Our Craft Foam is expanded polystyrene (EPS): the white, lightweight bead foam people usually picture when they say "styrofoam blocks" or "styrofoam sheets." It's made for arts, crafts, bakery displays and small business use.

Because it's made of tiny foam beads fused together, it's firm and rigid rather than soft or squishy, and it isn't the smooth, fine-grained foam board sold for insulation. Cutting it with a regular knife or saw can shed small white pellets, so a hot wire cutter gives the cleanest edges. See our Tips page for cutting and finishing.

Every Silverlake Craft Foam product is white expanded polystyrene (EPS) at 1 lb per cubic foot density. It's lightweight, rigid and smooth, so it cuts cleanly (with the right tools), holds pins and stems firmly, and takes water-based paint well.

Stronger than it looks. The surface will show dents, but the foam can support a person's weight without crushing or breaking. For heavy or repeated use, add a hard coat such as Plaster of Paris, papier-mâché, joint compound, concrete or Dryvit, or a specialty foam coating to create a durable shell that lasts for years.

Yes. Our expanded polystyrene (EPS) is recyclable. Many curbside programs don't accept it, so check with your local recycling center or an EPS drop-off location.

A hot wire knife or hot wire cutter gives the cleanest, smoothest cuts and is ideal for intricate shapes. A straight attachment helps with lettering and interior cuts where you don't want to start from the outside edge. Always use a hot wire tool in a well-ventilated area.

Yes. A sharp razor blade or utility knife can make clean cuts for detail work; files, rasps and sandpaper also shape it well, but all of these options create foam dust and loose beads, so work where cleanup is easy or have a vacuum handy.

Use fine-grit sandpaper with light pressure for the smoothest surface. Coarse grits remove material faster but can tear out individual beads and leave a rougher look.

Water-based products work best: latex and acrylic paints, Elmer's-style white glue, glitter, papier-mâché and Plaster of Paris can all be applied generously. If a product cleans up with soap and water and has no strong odor, it's generally safe for EPS. Always test on a spare piece first.

Not directly. Most spray paints are solvent-based and will melt polystyrene foam. Some water-based spray paints and foam primers are made for EPS. Once the foam is sealed with a primer or a few coats of a water-based product, a solvent-based finish is generally safe to use on top.

White (PVA) glue such as Elmer's, foam-safe craft glue and a low-temp glue gun all bond EPS well, including when gluing pieces together to build something bigger. Avoid super glue, high-temp glue guns, resin and solvent-based adhesives, which melt the foam.

Solvents and petroleum-based products dissolve polystyrene quickly. Keep spray paint, super glue, acetone, resin, oil-based paints and other solvent-based products from touching bare foam. If a coating has a strong solvent smell, there's a good chance it will damage the foam.

Customers use Silverlake Craft Foam for silk and dried floral arrangements, cake dummies and cake pop displays, school dioramas and science projects, model railroad and wargaming terrain, holiday décor, wedding and party centerpieces, letters and wall signs, cosplay and stage props, insect and butterfly pinning boards, gift basket filler and retail displays, hydroponic and aquaponic gardening, and protective packing for fragile items.

Thin sheets (½" to 1" thick) are best for letters, signs, model walls, pinning boards and layered scenery. Blocks 1½" to 2" thick make sturdy bases that hold stems, picks and cake pop sticks upright. Cubes and large blocks (4" and up) give you room to carve and sculpt, and our 11" × 17" × 7" Jumbo Block is the biggest single piece we sell. Foam balls and half balls suit ornaments, topiaries and solar system models.

No. EPS doesn't absorb or hold water, so it's made for silk, dried and artificial arrangements. For fresh flowers, use wet floral foam.

Our foam isn't rated as food-safe. Cake pop and candy sticks can go straight into the foam for display, but cover the foam with fondant, plastic wrap or a cake board before it touches real cake or other food.

Yes. Our Space Saver Cake Dummy Set builds a round or square 5-tier display cake up to 20" tall and collapses into two pieces for storage. Our foam circles and large square blocks also work as single dummy tiers. To cover a dummy with fondant, lightly brush the foam with water, piping gel or shortening so the fondant grips, then smooth as usual.

Yes. Straight pins, T-pins and thumbtacks push in easily and hold firmly, which makes our sheets popular for insect and butterfly collections, pinning boards and displays.

Please do! We love seeing what customers create. Post photos with your review to help inspire others.

Orders ship within 1 business day and are fulfilled through Amazon's fulfillment network.

Our website ships within the United States only. Customers in Canada, Mexico and Brazil can find our products on Amazon Canada, Amazon Mexico and Amazon Brazil.

STANDARD shipping (3–5 business days after shipping): $7.99
EXPEDITED shipping (2–3 business days after shipping): $14.99
FREE standard shipping on all orders over $50
FREE Standard shipping for Prime members: choose Buy with Prime at checkout

Yes. You can also find our full line at our Amazon storefront.

No. We sell online only, here at silverlakecraft.com and through our Amazon storefront.

Yes. For wholesale and bulk orders, please reach out through our contact page.

We offer discount codes to repeat customers. They aren't widely published.

If you have a regular, ongoing need for a size we don't yet carry, we'd love to hear from you. Unfortunately, we can't accommodate one-off custom orders at this time. Let us know how we can help by contacting us.

Please contact us to coordinate a return. See our return policy for details.

Email support@silverlakecraft.com, call 626-765-5224 (weekdays, 9am to 5pm Pacific), or use our contact form.