Craft Focus - October/November 2020 (Issue 81)

38 CRAFTFOAM Have some festive fun in store this Christmas with Craftfoam. With Christmas coming around quickly, it’s time to start thinking about what to stock for customers that prefer to ‘trim up’ with their own creations. Craftfoam, which is known for its versatility as it can easily be cut, shaped, moulded, bonded and modelled using a variety of different tools, is a popular choice for crafters looking to create home-made festive decorations such as table centrepieces, door hangers and window displays. The material is made from extruded polystyrene, which is rigid and strong, yet the uniform closed cell structure of the material guarantees the best finish for any craft or modelling project. It also has a smooth surface, which is ideal for painting and is also suitable for use with some non-solvent based resins and pastes. It’s advisable for retailers to display Craftfoam alongside non- solvent oil-based paints, and PVA glue, as well as other craft items such as glitter, buttons and pompoms which can be used to assemble and decorate the pieces, to make the customer’s shopping experience simpler and help increase basket spend. To increase footfall and in turn sales, retailers could also set up a small Craftfoam creation station in store and host festive themed crafting hours where children and adults can both enjoy quality time making their own decorations to take home. In addition, shop owners could also have a go at making their own Craftfoam decorations for use in store; a great way to showcase to customers just how easy it is to create festive scenes and ornaments using the material. A Santa-themed window display, for example, is simple to make and adds a fantastic festive feature for customers and passers-by to enjoy. Take a thin piece of Craftfoam and cut out a Santa shape, not forgetting his hat. Smooth down the edges using fine sandpaper and paint to look like a jolly old Father Christmas adding red for his suit and finishing touches such as black dots for his buttons and the white bobble of his hat and white cuffs on his coat and trousers. Add rosy cheeks and a sprinkling of glitter on his beard and when finished and dry, attach a piece of string in a loop at the back and using a suction cup with a hook and hang the Santa for all to see. Craftfoam can be conveniently delivered to anywhere in the UK direct to retailers or to their customers, should a large quantity be required. It can also be purchased in handy sheets and as ready- to-use letters and numbers in various sizes. +44 (0)114 249 5626 www.craftfoam.co.uk