Thread: Can I fill a latex mask with Great Stuff Foam?

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Hi All,

I am building a few PVC props, and plan on using masks. I made my first one this Halloween.. and it came out good. However, I am looking for the mask to have more form then stuffed with grocery bags. I was wondering if I could just spray great stuff foam in them to fill them in. Though I am wondering if that would damage them.. either by splitting the latex or eating the latex.. or any other hidden issue. Basically.. once the masks are full.. I was just going to stick them on the top of the pvc.

Also.. if anyone has a different/better idea to fill out the masks.. please share.

Thanks for your assistance and help!

~Smiter~

i can tell you from personal experience that i fked up a 75 dollar mask from death studios doing that..newspaper works just fine . your not going to achieve the look you want with that stuff, because i was going for the same look lol...and didnt get it. that stuff expands and you have no control over it . not to mention that it will stain the mask if you get it on the outside of it . bad idea

Good info there. I was thinking about trying the same thing. Not anymore thanks.

if it is a really cool mask, you could send it to me and I'll stuff it with my own head :P

I have used great stuff to fill a mask. It worked out ok. I added the stuff gradually. I also added ping-pong balls with LEDs for the eyes and added the foam around these. The mask held up good. This year I thought I was to need the mask, so I peeled the mask off the foam. Now I have a head shaped like the mask. You just have to be very carefull pulling the mask off. It gets caught in the crevises. i am pleased with the results.
As always, the choice is yours. Good luck.

Thanks Dept and DM for some very helpful and insightful info.
Since I have almost a year... I guess I can take my time on this one!

i did do it but i sealed all the holes in my mask i used hot glue then i did not fill it up all at one time i did the face of it so that the face would not deform then i adeed more and mare a little at a time tokk me forever but it did work i wish i still had it to take pics maybe i will do it again sumtimes but it prolly depends on how strong the mask and the thickness of the latex but yeah alum. foil works good to

Great Stuff is dreadful at best. It works great for what its made for.


Flex foam, from Smooth-on should work good. FlexFoam-iT! ® Series Castable Flexible Urethane Foam | Smooth-On, Inc. It is practically the same thing as Nerf foam.

I have cast it in my latex skull molds before, without messing up the latex. I would however, recommend lining the inside with a trash bag. So basically you pour the foam in the garbage bag. For a support shell, you could stuff the mask with paper getting desired shape, then do paper mache or plaster around it. A paper mache or plaster support shell should work just fine.

IT is somewhat pricy, but terribly more than great stuff. It does help to have the recommended release agent. The skin of the foam will be effected by the release agent.

Just buy foam heads. A foam head from a beuty supply shop runs $4, Great Stuff runs about $3.60 a can and you will probably use 2/3 of a can on one head.

So for roughly a $1.50 more you dont damage your mask and it makes them interchangeable. Also the hole in the bottom of foam heads allows for easy mounting on either PVC or wood dowel. If you are concerned about the mask sliding around, you can always pin it to the foam head. I did that to a couple masks this year.

I second the foam head idea. However, I have had really good sucess in filling the mask with newspaper and using Great Stuff just to 'seal' the bottom of the head/top of the neck.