Home-made hide

[JellyBean]

I think I have a new hobby!
I've been very intrigued by the backgrounds and hides people are making with styrofoam. I decided to take a leap, and start my own small project.

I took the easy way out this time, but I'll be getting some friends together to have a 'snake craft day" soon, and we'll try some other ideas now That I know how cool it is

This one was made simply with
Styrofoam (free from the nursery)
Elmers glue (after I found out super glue melts the foam!)
Acrylic paint (no shortage in this house)
Pieces of a fake plant from my old fish tank
Mod podge (to be added as a final layer for water resistance since we have a high humidity habitat)

Basicly, it was free, and I had something to do at 2am. Haha

My final result

[SWDK]

They look really nice and realistic. Good job!

[JellyBean]

Thanks Dave!
This is actually just one hide, but all the different angles since it has such an unusual shape for Bean to explore

[macandchz]

jellybean, that is really cute! i love it!

[Albert Clark]

Nice! I think you're onto something here. When will you start taking orders and will you ship? Thanks for sharing.

[JellyBean]

Originally Posted by macandchz

jellybean, that is really cute! i love it!

Thanks Mac! I'm sure it's a lot easier to make them now ,while Bean is still small. Once he gets bigger, I'm gonna have to switch to grout as my medium, so he doesn't crush it

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Nice! I think you're onto something here. When will you start taking orders and will you ship? Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Alnert! Hmmm... When's your birthday?

[Jim Smith]

Looks great! The only thing I would add to this is a solid/heavy base, such as gluing it to a piece of slate. This will help prevent your snakes from tipping it over when they do a bit of "gardening" in their enclosure. I know that my hondos can move quite a bit of weight with very little effort so styrofoam would get moved all over the place. Just a thought...

[dave himself]

That looks class JB

[JellyBean]

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

Looks great! The only thing I would add to this is a solid/heavy base, such as glutting it to a piece of slate. This will help prevent your snakes from tipping it over when they do a bit of "gardening" in their enclosure. I know that my hondos can move quite a bit of weight with very little effort so styrofoam would get moved all over the place. Just a thought...

Thanks Jim! Good insight
Bean is just a wee one right now, so that's why I started out small and light. Once I use the grout, it becomes stronger and heavier, and I would Incorporate a floor.
At this time, I deliberately kept it "base free" for easy access to my little guy

Originally Posted by dave himself

That looks class JB

Thank you Dave!

[Piggybuns]

YOOOO that's mega cool!! I kinda wanna try something like this now, man, I'd deck out my entire terrarium with stuff like that! (Terrarium(s), I have a 2nd now too.) I love doing crafts, I just have to save up and get the materials. My snakes would be so spoiled. Do you have any links for some of your favorite tutorials?

[JellyBean]

Hey piggybuns! First off, you can get styrofoam for free at almost any major store... They get stuff shipped in it and then trash it... Ya just have to know to ask 😄 (This stuff came from a nursery)

I don't have a specific tutorial I used... I have a habit of researching what people do, pick what I like from several different ones, then wing it. (My type "A" friends get very frustrated with me)

Though I recommend having somewhat of a plan before you start, honestly, I just started drawing shapes in different sizes that I felt could stack easily together. After cutting them out, just break apart the ones you made to fit your needs as you go.

Drawing: I used a pencil, which ultimately worked well as a tool to "score" the foam. (Pens, marker, crayon... You get the idea)

Cutting: if not using just the pencil, you can use a utility knife, kitchen knife, pocket knife, etc.

Stacking: put it together like a puzzle, keeping in mind if you want an entrance, an exit, a floor, or even removable parts (you can make a box with a removable top)
Be creative. I wanted it to look like rock, but you can go crazy with the paint since you like to craft

Glue: I used good old Elmer's school glue (the white stuff). It worked the best
*do not use super glue, it eats through the foam. Yes, I did it! LOl

Paint: I used acrylic paint. Lots of colors, several coats. I started with a base coat of white, but you can start with any color.

If you want to do rock, I suggest several different colors, and finishing with a dry brush and white paint to make the edges stand out.
*Instead of paint, Another great tool is grout. It adds more "weight", dries hard, and looks like stone! You'll use several coats of this too (I'm probably going to use grout next time)

Know your habitat! If you have high humidity, or your reptile may leave a present on his/her hide, make sure you seal it well! Anything from mod podge to aquarium sealant. (Follow directions)

Here's what I did for the first time, although I'm sure I will make changes each time I make another one...

[JellyBean]

I stuck the "trees" in before I painted to create the holes, then I removed them before painting.

The trees are just snippets from a fake aquarium plant. (I literally just cut up the plant with a pair of scissors).

[JellyBean]

If you have additional questions, just ask

[Piggybuns]

That's super cool, I'm totally gonna try that! Thanks for the tips and stuff! 8Db

[Tsubaki]

Very nice I've done a lot of projects like this, they sell special glue for Styrofoam btw! I used cement tile glue to make the whole stronger, and finished it off with epoxy for waterproofing . Also my local construction market sells bulk packs of Styrofoam very cheap, nice for bigger projects.