Dying Foam

[MuppetLabsBoy]

Has anyone dyed foam here before? I have to make an ice cream sundae that can be squished down and I wanted to try this.
Any information would be helpful.

Thanks
-MLB

 

[Melonpool]

I haven't done it, but from what I've heard, you want to make a rather weak dye bath at first and leave it submerged for about half an hour. You might try experimenting with a piece of scrap foam first to make sure you know how the real deal will react to it.

 

[MuppetCaper]

Has anyone dyed foam here before? I have to make an ice cream sundae that can be squished down and I wanted to try this.
Any information would be helpful.

Thanks
-MLB

When I made a new tongue for my MR Animal photo puppet. After carving I used RIT dye for my coloring. I got a old kitchen pot and got the water real hot. I put the tongue in their for a half hour. Then you need to get something to get the color into the pours of the foam cause it doesn't soak all the way through. So use a slantula or a old spoon and press it in the bottom of the pan to let the foam soak up the color and water. Let set some more in the coloring them pull it out. squeese the remaining liquid out of the foam and let dry over night is what I did since it took forever to get dry. I hope that helps.

This is what it looks like:

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb82/tsmert/IMG_0052Small.jpg

 

[Animal31]

When I made a new tongue for my MR Animal photo puppet. After carving I used RIT dye for my coloring. I got a old kitchen pot and got the water real hot. I put the tongue in their for a half hour. Then you need to get something to get the color into the pours of the foam cause it doesn't soak all the way through. So use a slantula or a old spoon and press it in the bottom of the pan to let the foam soak up the color and water. Let set some more in the coloring them pull it out. squeese the remaining liquid out of the foam and let dry over night is what I did since it took forever to get dry. I hope that helps.

This is what it looks like:

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb82/tsmert/IMG_0052Small.jpg

Amazing, did you use anything special for foam?

 

[MuppetCaper]

No, I just went to joan's Fabric's and got some 2" thick soft foam and traced the old tongue over the foam (but I made it smaller since his original tongue was too big for his mouth) the cut it out, then started carving away with a pair of small sewing scissors.

 

[Animal31]

It's funny, because me and another member just had this conversation, we were under the impression only reticulated foam would hold dye?

I'm so glad this came up!

 

[D'Snowth]

I've heard that sometimes when bare foam needs to be colored, that the puppet builders spraypaint the foam... not sure how effective that is, but... *shrug*

 

[Melonpool]

You have to use floral paint that they sell at Michaels and other craft stores. Regular spray paint will make the foam brittle.

 

[MuppetLabsBoy]

I've tried using floral spray and regular spray a couple of different times before but then after you squish it down after a few times the paint starts to crack. I think I am going to go about doing it by using very hot water with the dye in it and letting it sit for like a 1/2 hour like you guys said.

Thanks,
-MLB