Styrofoam is a product made from a specific type of plastic known as polystyrene. Typically, Styrofoam is used in packaging, as it is effective as an insulator and can protect delicate items. In some construction projects, you may need to glue Styrofoam to wood, glass, or other pieces of Styrofoam. Knowing how to glue Styrofoam allows you to effectively create a craft project or other product.
Steps
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Obtain the right kind of glue.
- Styrofoam glue is a specific product designed especially for attaching Styrofoam to other materials. Typically, Styrofoam glue can be purchased at home improvement or arts and crafts stores.
- Regular school glue may also work when gluing Styrofoam. However, it is usually less effective than actual Styrofoam glue, as it may not hold as well and may not be as long-lasting.
- Styrofoam glue is a specific product designed especially for attaching Styrofoam to other materials. Typically, Styrofoam glue can be purchased at home improvement or arts and crafts stores.
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Prepare the Styrofoam you need to glue.
- Styrofoam glue is not only quite sticky, but also dries in a relatively short period of time. This makes it important for you to have the Styrofoam and the item to which you want to glue it in close proximity to your work station.
- Styrofoam glue is not only quite sticky, but also dries in a relatively short period of time. This makes it important for you to have the Styrofoam and the item to which you want to glue it in close proximity to your work station.
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Apply the glue.
- Place the glue on the piece of Styrofoam in a thin, even layer. If you are working with a very large piece of Styrofoam, you may want to consider pouring the glue into a large tray, and applying the glue with a paintbrush. This will ensure that the glue goes on quickly and evenly, and no sections of glue dries while others are still being applied.
- Place the glue on the piece of Styrofoam in a thin, even layer. If you are working with a very large piece of Styrofoam, you may want to consider pouring the glue into a large tray, and applying the glue with a paintbrush. This will ensure that the glue goes on quickly and evenly, and no sections of glue dries while others are still being applied.
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Attach the Styrofoam.
- Once you apply the glue, you can attach the Styrofoam to the wood, glass, or other product. Press the Styrofoam firmly in place to ensure that the glue attaches completely to both items being glued together.
- Once you apply the glue, you can attach the Styrofoam to the wood, glass, or other product. Press the Styrofoam firmly in place to ensure that the glue attaches completely to both items being glued together.
Tips
- If a piece of Styrofoam comes apart from the material from which it was previously glued, dispose of it and start from scratch. When a new coat of Styrofoam glue is attached to a previous layer which has already dried, a complete connection to the Styrofoam cannot be made. This results in a weak bond between the glue, Styrofoam, and the product to which it is being attached.
- If the glue is taking longer than you anticipate to dry when attaching two pieces of Styrofoam, you may want to consider placing toothpicks into the product to prevent movement. Using a blow dryer set to the cool setting can also speed the drying process.
Warnings
- Never use a hot glue gun when it comes to gluing Styrofoam. As Styrofoam is made from plastic, the hot glue gun can actually cause it to melt, potentially damaging your designs. Hot glue guns should only be used to attach materials which are not affected by heat.
Things You'll Need
- Styrofoam
- Styrofoam glue
- Paintbrush
- Tray
- Toothpicks
