Dream Castle

Give your daughter the castle she has always dreamed of! All you need for this inexpensive childhood delight is some STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam shapes, chenille stems and beads.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • Blocks, 10" x 12" x 1-1/4", three
  • Cones: 6" x 3", nine; 12" x 4", one
  • Disc, 7-1/2" x 1-1/4"
• White/iridescent chenille stems, 12" x 6mm, 50
• Clear/iridescent tri-beads, 35
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Fine-line black permanent marker
• Ruler
• Cardboard, 12" square (optional)
• Round toothpicks
• Metal teaspoon or serrated grapefruit spoon
• Wire cutters
• Needlenose pliers
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue

For pattern, click here.

Steps:

1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut foam disc in half. Refer to Diagrams 1-3; cut two foam blocks as indicated, leaving first block uncut for castle base.
    
2. Glue several toothpicks into one long 1-1/4" edge of each castle side piece, pushing toothpicks halfway into foam. Apply glue to exposed toothpick ends; push long sides into top of base. Push short sides into top of base, between long sides, to form 6-1/4"-tall foam "box." Glue several toothpicks into straight edge of one half-disc. Apply glue to toothpick ends; push disc into bottom front of castle.
    
3. For door, refer to Diagram 4. Cut large cone in half lengthwise, then cut 5-3/4" from base of one half-cone. Use metal spoon to hollow out doorway area to depth of 1/2". Glue door to front of castle as shown.
    
4. For trees, cut one 6" cone in half lengthwise. Glue one tree to castle on each side of door. Glue one 6" cone to each upper corner of castle for towers.
    
5. For turrets, cut 2-7/8" from base of each remaining 6" cone; set aside top sections. Refer to Diagram 5 to make four cuts in top of each turret piece, removing marked sections. Use metal spoon to hollow out turrets, leaving 1/2" thickness all around. Use scrap foam to sand edges smooth. Place one turret on top of each tower as shown.
    
6. Cut top sections of cones set aside in Step 5 in half lengthwise. Glue four halves to sides of castle for windows as shown.
    
7. Glue foam blocks cut in Step 1 to top of castle between turret towers as shown: one to front; two to rear; three to each side.
    
8. Glue chenille stems to all seam lines, cutting to fit as needed. For trees, thread beads onto chenille stems before gluing to trees in zig-zag pattern. Glue bead to top of each tree. For flags, cut two chenille stems in half; bend each half into shape of a "4" and glue into tops of cones.
    
9. Place castle on cardboard to dry.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.