Simple Foam Paint Brushes

Every now and then we need to paint some thing small and then throw away a brush or do a big job but the hardware store is closed. I have had the issue and found a simple way round it. The solution revolves around chop sticks, foam and super glue. This Instructable is how we turn last night's take away chop sticks, into a household foam paint brush.

We need three basic items:
- strips of foam, any foam packaging foam will do. Mine comes from various packaging sources.
- super glue or CA, not the shop variety but the kind you buy at a woodworking store or hobby shop
- Chinese take away's, use a fork and keep the chop sticks.

Start by cutting the foam to size. This is determined by two things. How much foam you have and how big is the opening of the can it must fit into. Proceed to cut a piece of foam either in a square or a rectangle.

Using the back of the chopstick, put some medium thick super glue on it. Gently place the chop stick onto the foam in the middle. Judge the middle by folding the foam in half. The idea is not to put to much pressure on the foam as the glue must not soak in. Else your foam brush will be a brick and your fingertips full of glue.

Once the first half of the chopstick is stuck put some CA glue on the non-glued side of the chop stick, a very thin bead across the top of the foam, then fold the foam over and wait for it to set.

And there you have it a simple Sunday afternoon paint brush, for less the a buck, if you exclude the cost of the takeout.

Paint your wagon or whatever you need to paint. They can be washed. Just don't use acetone else the glue will debond and the foam may melt... enjoy