How to Shape Upholstery Foam

Item # X-HT-300444

Depending on your project, you may have to cut and shape upholstery foam to the specific shape you need. Shaping and contouring upholstery foam requires some special tools, patience and know-how, but it can be done fairly easily. In today's video tutorial, we're going to show you how to cut and shape upholstery foam using both a high-quality foam cutter and a special sculpting tool that you can only find at Sailrite®. This clever handheld foam shaper is going to make your next custom upholstery project a breeze.

How to Shape Upholstery Foam 2

Foam can be shaped and sculpted in a variety of ways. Our recommended technique is to first cut large unwanted sections away using the Sailrite® Blade Foam Saw. Then, follow that up with detailed sculpting using the Sailrite® Foam Shaper. The last thing you want to do is remove too much foam and have to start over with a new piece. That’s why our foam shaper is designed to gradually shave away foam, allowing you to carefully create the curves and shape you need.

Watch the video below for our easy foam shaping tutorial.

After you cut and shape the foam, we recommend covering the piece in a layer of sew foam. Sew foam is a thin, fabric-backed layer of polyurethane foam that is great for smoothing out your shaped foam and masking any small inconsistencies in your shaping and sculpting. It also adds some extra thickness if you removed too much foam with your foam saw or foam shaper during the initial cutting and shaving process. Sew foam adheres to the shaped piece with a spray adhesive. We have a selection of aerosol adhesives that bond foam to foam, fabric to foam and batting to foam. Just search “spray adhesives” on our website to browse our offerings.

Let us know if you have any questions about this DIY or anything else you're working on. We're always happy to help!

Materials & Tools List

  • Sailrite® Blade Foam Saw V2 with Carrying Case (#121244)
  • Sailrite® Foam Shaper (#123583)
  • CushionRite® Foam from Sailrite
  • Marker
  • Ruler or straightedge
  • Sew foam or batting and spray adhesive (optional)

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