The Ultimate Guide to Foam Adhesives for Cardmakers

Have you ever finished a handmade card, stepped back to admire it, and felt like something was missing? The colors are beautiful, the details are carefully arranged, and every element has its place, but the design still feels a little flat. That’s where foam adhesives come in.

Often overlooked as a simple “sticking tool,” foam adhesives are one of the easiest ways to transform a basic paper project into something eye-catching and professional-looking. With just a small piece of dimensional adhesive, you can lift sentiments, create layered backgrounds, highlight focal images, and bring your handmade designs to life.

Foam adhesives are dimensional adhesives made with a layer of foam between two adhesive surfaces. Unlike traditional glue or flat adhesive tapes, foam adhesives create a raised effect by lifting your paper elements away from the background.

They are available in different shapes and sizes, including:

Foam Strips - Great for longer elements such as borders, banners, and larger die-cut pieces. 

Foam Squares - Perfect for adding dimension to stamped images, sentiments, and small embellishments. 

Foam Dots - The best choice for rounded die-cuts and propping up other elements of your handmade card. 

To get the best results from your foam adhesives, keep these simple tips in mind:

Foam adhesives come in different thicknesses, and each one creates a different effect. Consider using thinner foam adhesives for subtle dimension and lightweight layers, while considering thicker foam adhesives when you want dramatic depth and a more dimensional look. For projects with multiple layers, combining different thicknesses can create a realistic stacked effect.

While foam adhesives are great for adding dimension, using too many layers can make your card bulky or difficult to mail. Think about which elements deserve attention and use foam adhesive strategically. Highlight your main focal points while keeping the rest of the design balanced.

You do not always need a full foam square behind an element. Cutting smaller pieces allows you to control placement and save supplies at the same time! After all, these tiny foam adhesives are incredibly durable and will work even if they’re cut up. For delicate pieces, small foam adhesive sections placed behind thicker areas can provide support without showing through.

Foam adhesives are not limited to paper. They can also work beautifully with other materials! Remember that experimenting with different textures and surfaces can help you discover new creative possibilities. Here are a few options for you:

• Cardstock

• Vellum

• Die cuts

• Embossed panels

• Lightweight embellishments

Here are a couple of samples that you can consider when it comes to crafting with foam tape! 

One of the fun and beautiful handmade card techniques is creating a framed card panel, which gives the illusion that you have something inside the die-cut panel, which is usually a beautiful image or some stunning sequins. If you’d like to achieve a framed card panel like the one below, you can consider using foam strips to adhere your panel perfectly.

Foam Strip Duo Bundle

Florals are a wonderful choice for classic handmade greeting cards. In some instances, where you want those floral elements to pop, consider propping up your die-cuts with foam squares! It’s super easy to do, and will add stunning dimension to your crafts in an instant! 

Foam Squares Duo Bundle

One of the struggles of die-cutting is that it can be tricky to adhere the more intricate designs. If you don’t want to use glue or have to cut up foam tape, you can use pre-cut foam dots! The different sizes are wonderful for those smaller die cuts, especially for projects that have lots of elements included. 

Foam Dots Duo Bundle

Plenty of crafters love to play around with cardstock strips if they want to create beautiful card backgrounds or consider foregoing ink blending. If this is something you do as well, consider doing it with foam strips! It makes the adhering process so much easier, not to mention making for some beautiful creations. 

If there’s one thing you can never go wrong with as a crafter, it’s making a cute background for your card panel, and adhering a big, bold, focal point right in the middle! Well, you don’t have to worry about messy glues or cutting up tape, just use your trusty pre-cut foam squares, and you’re good to go! Super convenient and effortlessly beautiful results are waiting. 

Foam adhesives may seem like a small addition to your craft supplies, but they can make a huge difference in the final look of your projects. The next time you finish a design and feel like it needs something extra, try adding a little height. A few carefully placed foam adhesive pieces might be the finishing touch that transforms your project from beautiful to unforgettable. 

Are you ready to play with foam adhesives in your next crafting project? We hope today’s blog gave you an idea of how to use them and what to do when sticking die cuts and other elements of your card for added dimension. Happy crafting, and in case you’re in need of more paper crafting techniques, daily tutorials, giveaways, and more, check out Altenew’s blog HERE! 

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