Oodles of Noodles wordmark Oodles of NoodlesThe Lido

Craft Foam by Oodles of Noodles

Craft Foam shelf at the Oodles of Noodles lido

Craft foam is the same pool noodle material sold with a different job in mind. These are cut lengths and long rolls for cosplay armour, model terrain, wreath cores, flower stems, display stands and school builds.

The stock here splits into two shapes: thick sticks from 1.5 inch to 5 inch across, and thin solid-core rod from 5/8 inch sold in 20 ft and 40 ft coils. Spiral Curlz tubes are the odd one out — a pre-cut helix that holds its curl.

Foam cuts cleanly with a serrated blade, takes water-based paint without a primer and glues with contact adhesive or hot melt on a low setting.

11 Oodles of Noodles models in this lane

Sorted by the price showing on the listing, cheapest first.

Colours and packs on the shelf

Every listing in the lane, with the figure it is showing right now.

Craft Foam YellowYellow $15.99Craft Foam GreenGreen $15.99Craft Foam BlueBlue $15.99Craft Foam Red and GreenRed and Green $15.99Craft Foam MulticoloredMulticolored $15.99Craft Foam BlueBlue $16.99Craft Foam WhiteWhite $16.99Craft Foam RedRed $16.99Craft Foam YellowYellow $16.99Craft Foam GreenGreen $16.99Craft Foam BlackBlack $16.99Craft Foam GreyGrey $16.99Craft Foam WhiteWhite $23.99Craft Foam BlueBlue $23.99Craft Foam YellowYellow $23.99Craft Foam GreenGreen $23.99Craft Foam BlackBlack $23.99Craft Foam RedRed $23.99Craft Foam GreyGrey $23.99Craft Foam 1.5" x 35" Solid Foam Sticks1.5" x 35" Solid Foam Sticks $26.99Craft Foam Craft Foam Sticks for ProjecCraft Foam Sticks for Projec $27.99Craft Foam BlueBlue $27.99Craft Foam GreenGreen $27.99Craft Foam MulticoloredMulticolored $27.99Craft Foam Red and GreenRed and Green $27.99Craft Foam YellowYellow $27.99
Craft Foam in use

Before you order

Buy a foot more than the plan says. Every build loses a little to trimmed ends, and the thin rod in particular is cheaper by the coil than by the metre.

Thin rod arrives coiled and holds a memory of the coil for a day or two. Lay it out flat in a warm room before you start cutting and it straightens itself.

Foam bought by the foot

Craft stock is the same premium Oodles of Noodles foam sold for a different job. A 48 inch pool noodle is still the cheapest large foam tube in the range, which is why it turns up in so many builds, but the cut sticks and the coiled rod are what crafts people actually order.

Quality here means an even wall and a skin that paint will sit on. White takes colour most predictably; dark stock wants a pale ground coat first.

Check before you order

Check the approx. diameter in inch against the drawing before you buy, and work in total length rather than in pack count — a long coil costs far less per foot than several short packs, and foam goes fast in the run-up to a convention season.

The standard advice from makers is to keep one offcut as a glue and paint test piece. It is a dull habit with an incredible payoff, and the experience of melting a finished prop with the wrong adhesive is the one everybody has once. A favorite trick is to buy a cheap pack of plain pool noodles alongside the craft stock, purely for test cuts. Questions about a particular foam tube are answered on its own card.

Questions about craft foam

What glue works on foam noodles?

Contact adhesive and low-temperature hot melt both hold. Solvent-based glues eat polyethylene, so avoid anything that smells of acetone.

Can I paint it?

Water-based acrylic and latex take straight to the surface. Spray paint with a strong solvent will pit the foam unless you seal it first.

How do I get a clean cut?

A serrated bread knife, a slow stroke and a pencil line all the way round. For thin rod, a sharp craft knife rolled around the tube is tidier.

Dockside reading

Pool noodle sizes in inchesPool noodle sizes in inchesA plain table of the lengths and diameters sold under the Oodles of Noodles name, in inch and in feet.Pool noodle craft projectsPool noodle craft projectsCutting, gluing and painting Oodles of Noodles pool noodle foam for costumes, props, classrooms and wreaths.

Other lanes at the lido

Standard Pool NoodlesStandard Pool NoodlesThe classic hollow tube, by the packJumbo & XL Pool NoodlesJumbo & XL Pool NoodlesThicker foam that holds an adultSolid Core Pool NoodlesSolid Core Pool NoodlesDense foam all the way throughClamp Noodles & Edge ProtectionClamp Noodles & Edge ProtectionPre-slit tubes that grip an edgeConstruction FoamConstruction FoamBacker rod, rope and pipe coversSpeciality NoodlesSpeciality NoodlesOdd shapes with one clear job

Take the craft foam lane

Open the listing for the pack you want and check the price before it changes.