How can I reuse or recycle giant holey foam things?

We’ve had an email from Petra:

From a party project, we have left two big foam “things” with holes in it. See the picture included. They measure 108 by 47 by 18 (in centimeters). The holes are large enough to hold a winebottle. But the foam is quite soft, so it’s not safe enough to make it into a hanging wine rack.

I thought about it being playing items for the kids in the garden, but any better ideas are more than welcome.

The bright colour, softness and chunkiness make them feel very much like something for kids – one of those things that if we’d had it as a kids, we’d have come up with a thousand different play uses for it. If you have a few, another kid-related thing might be to string them up as hanging dividers in a bedroom – such as between the sleeping area and the playing area, or to give kids a little privacy/sense of their own space in a shared room.

Aside from that, if you could find boxes big enough to hold them (under bed storage boxes maybe?), they might be useful for keeping glasses or bottles safe during a house move (if you’re not moving, someone on Freecycle probably will be!).

They also could be useful in the garden if you’re growing a lot of seedlings – holding plant pots upright when they start to get a bit top heavy or if it’s windy.

Any other suggestions?

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7 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle giant holey foam things?”


  1. Katrina says:

    A few off the cuff ideas could be to use them as a window treatment on an overly bright window (south facing possibly) or as a canopy over a kids bed. It could also be an amazing wall light- build a box, put some low wattage lights in there, cover it with the foam (keep the foam a safe distance away) and hang it with some french brackets. Or maybe two could be attached at the ends and rolled into a tunnel to play in.

  2. carol says:

    You could chop it up and use as padding to mail packages or if you are packing up things to store.

  3. Cipollina says:

    I wouldn’t use it in the garden – the sun would dry it out and make it into dust in almost no time. Non-biodegradable dust. I had a cushion of foam stored on top of some boxes beneath the attic window one summer, and it became dust in my hands when I wanted to take it downstairs and use it. It was just like in a mummy film, when the mummy becomes dust as the hero touches it!

  4. Nicole says:

    Looks like it would be great for holding Christmas ornaments!

  5. Olia says:

    Use it as template for spray paint project.

  6. Pam Ellison says:

    On the foam holey things…. I could use a bunch of them. I am trying to soundproof my ceiling in my bedroom from the floor above which is quite creaky. I have a ceiling that is open rafters to the the floor above, so I am looking for those types of foam and other soft items to put in between the joists, and then we plan to install a panelled ceiling on top of the joists, once the soundproofing stuff is in place.

    I just wish I could get a lot of it. I have other rooms that could also use a little soundproofing as well.

    Just a thought. Someone who also has a garage band, could make good use of this stuff as well, to soundproof for neighbors around them.

  7. There’s certainly a great deal to know about this issue.
    I really like all the points you made.



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