• Advertise
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Bloom in the Black

Bloom in the Black

  • DIY
  • Decorating
  • Recipes
  • Shop
    • Shopping Guides and Round-Ups
    • Shop My Home
      • The Library
      • The Office
      • The Master Bedroom
      • The Girls’ Bedroom
      • The Entryway
      • The Living Room
      • The Kitchen
    • Shop My Amazon Collection
    • Shop My Society6 Collection
  • About

July 12, 2020

How to Cut Upholstery Foam (With Tools You Already Have)

Basics· DIY

Sharing is caring!

75shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Are you planning a project that uses upholstery foam? I just finished making an upholstered built-in bench for my kids’ bedroom and when faced with that giant slab of foam I paused for a second. While googling exactly how to tackle the project, I found a bunch of methods suggesting tools I didn’t have like electric carving knives (people still have those??).

In this back-to-basics post, I’m going to teach you how to cut upholstery foam, using a tool you already have.

Pin this for later!

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Bloom in the Black!

How to Cut Upholstery Foam

All you need to cut upholstery foam is a serrated knife, preferably on the larger side. And I bet you already have one — a simple bread knife is perfect for the job!

If you don’t already have one, this offset bread knife is perfect and only costs $11.

First, measure your foam and draw the cut lines

Grab a marker and a measuring tape and draw a guideline for your cut on the upholstery foam. It helps if you can find a large surface to work on, like your dining room table, but the floor works too.

Use the measuring tape to mark the length you need on the foam. Make dots at your desired length every few inches down the foam then connect the dots using a straight edge.

Tip: Measure and cut the short edge first to get the length you need, and do the long side second. This way, you’re cutting the shortest possible length each time.

Then, you can cut the foam

Now you can actually cut the foam by following this set of guidelines:

  • Take your serrated knife and line it up with the cut line you drew.
  • Hold the knife blade parallel to the upholstery foam and make a deliberate, shallow cut along the entire line — in one direction only. If you saw back and forth the foam will tear and/or cut unevenly.

 

Align knife to line on foam
  • Lift your knife, carefully place it into the groove and make your next shallow cut the same way you made the first.
  • Continue like this until you cut through to the other side.
  • Repeat along your second cut mark if you have one.

 

You’re done!

Cutting that upholstery foam was pretty easy, right? I hope this short post was helpful. Sometimes we just need a quick answer to our basic questions!

Bonus: If you’re looking for a good deal on upholstery foam, I get mine here. It’s under $25 for a huge slab and the quality is great.

About Brianna

Brianna Thomas is the founder of Bloom in the Black, a home decor and DIY blog showing people how to personalize their home through simple projects, smart shopping, and good design. She encourages her readers to stop striving for their house to be “done,” and instead, make small, impactful changes one step at a time. Brianna’s work has been featured in publications such as House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Today.com.

Where to next?

Create This Modern Two-Toned Table Finish -- Plus The Secret To Perfect Edges
How to Stencil an Accent Wall (Costs 80% Less Than Wallpaper)
DIY Fluted Wood Planter for Under $2
How to Make a Clipboard Wall Plus My Life-Changing Organization System
Previous Post: « DIY Gold Leaf Pendant Light: Battery-Powered and Under $10
Next Post: How to Build a Floating Bench (Without Buying Brackets) »

Primary Sidebar

About Brianna

Hey, I’m Brianna! First, you should know I’m a homebody to the core. I love surrounding myself with pretty things, yummy food, and settling in for movie marathons with my family. Most of all, I love sharing what I know about making home beautiful…

Read more of my story

Blue built-in bookcase with bar cart in a moody library

Shop My Home

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Footer

Make home your happy place

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy  
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Ⓒ 2018-2021 Bloom in the Black. All Rights Reserved. Site Theme on Genesis Framework