Best Craft Foam source

[FattyMatt 0]

Hey guys,

 

Im headed to the craft store or maybe Walmart to try to get some craft foam to tie some gurglers/poppers/sliders/floating bugs.

 

Any store you can recommend? Brand of foam? And what is the optimal mm?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

[ScottK 0]

I get most of mine at Hobby Lobby, just because thet have a better selection. 2mm is my go to.

[FattyMatt 0]

I get most of mine at Hobby Lobby, just because thet have a better selection. 2mm is my go to.

 

What sizes do you tie scott? I figured a minimum of 4 mm for 1/0 to 3/0 saltwater flies

[ScottK 0]

Ah, sorry. I don't tie anything near that large. Didn't realize you were talking saltwater, I'm about as far away from the ocean as one can get unfortunately.

[FlaFly 0]

I've been seeing lots of discussion in various threads about craft foam. I am not willing to spend the bucks to buy a little 4" square piece of evasote from the fly tying shop, and would love to use craft foam if I could be sure it was the same closed-cell foam. I look at videos of people tying foam hoppers, and the foam they use is very soft and compressible. I got some stuff from Michaels... 1mm thick in various colors, but it is very stiff and not compressible. I've looked online for potential selections and the best pricewise I've found comes from http://www.craftsuppliesforless.com. But nowhere does it say whether it is evasote, or even closed-cell. JoAnn Fabric has foam sheets but it also doesn't say what it is. I don't have a Hobby Lobby nearby. I'm going to have to buy online. Has anyone actually found evasote or its equivalent at a craft store?

[agn54 0]

I get mine from Michaels or Joann's. I use the 2mm sheets for $0.99 each. If I want thicker foam, I just glue layers together. It's all closed cell and floats fine.

[phg 0]

What is commonly known as "craft foam" is EVA, or closed cell foam. I've gotten it from Michaels, A.C.Moore and Mal-Mart. The brands have varied a bit, as have the colors, but it's all basically the same, 2mm thick in a 9"x12" sheet. The last couple of years, Wal-Mart has been selling larger sheets, 12"x18".

 

I'm not saying you can't find foam, in an arts and crafts store, that is different, but if you ask for "craft foam" they should point you to their selection of soft, closed cell foam. Of course, online, you may need to read the fine print....

[Floyd 0]

Hobby Lobby has it in 5 mm. Just bought some the other day.

[utyer 0]

The foam sold by fly tying shops has been in my experience softer and easier to compress than craft store foam. I find it easier to work with on many patterns. That said, I have used quite a lot of "craft" foam in the last few years. It is more firm, and will cut more easily when you apply a lot of pressure as you compress it. I find working with a somewhat larger thread that I can flatten out helps with this.

 

Craft store foam is cheaper, and comes in many colors, but fly tying foam is died in more fly friendly colors. Its a trade off.

 

I haven't found any significant difference in the foam from various craft stores.

[BBBruce77 0]

I used to get a soft pliable foam years ago and thankfully still have a reasonable amount left but only in orange, black, yellow and yellowish tan that I used to use for the body on a small hopper for a shop in Hamilton, MT. the nice thing about this foam is that when you wrap it tightly around the shank it becomes glossy and very life like in appearance. Larva Lace was one company that marketed it for fly shops 15 to 20 years ago and they sold it in both open or closed cell. I have no idea if Bill Bean is still in business in Hamilton MT. But he used to die the foam in a lot of really cool colors for fly tying. His shop was called "Fishaus Tackle" Wow time does pass its been at least 16 years since I made my last delivery to him. Things are always changing and not always for the better.

[utyer 0]

You can still get Larva Lace foam (and other) Larva Lace products.

[add147 0]

Hobby Lobby has a good selection of foam. A few weeks ago all their foam was 30 percent off...

[petelangevin 0]

In my local paper there is almost always a 40-50% off coupon for acmoore and michaels. I get most of my foam there. Not too many evazote foam mfg here in the states i am sure most of the craft and fly foams come from the same mfg.

[ScottK 0]

Hobby Lobby always has a printable/saveable 40% coupon on their site also.

[add147 0]

Hobby Lobby always has a printable/saveable 40% coupon on their site also.

Now that you mentioned it they sure do...Forgot about that...