In this guide I will answer the second most common question I receive - "How do I GLITTER  styrofoam centerpieces?" You can use this guide to help you apply glitter to any  foam crafts - I just happen to sell a lot of foam centerpieces, so most of my customers are interested in centerpieces.
Here's some examples of glittered centerpieces...
   
I have found two ways to glitter styrofoam or insulation foam like you might find at the big Home Center kinds of stores or your local lumber yard.

Before discussing these methods, first some general info to help you get prepared for glittering.
You'll need newspaper or brown grocery bag paper. Lay the paper down onto your work surface - kitchen table or whatever you're working on. The paper will catch and hold the excess glitter which falls off your centerpiece while you shake on the glitter. After completely covering the areas you want to glitter, turn the centerpiece over and lightly tap on it a couple times to get the excess glitter to fall off. Then you set it aside to dry. Now roll the paper unto a U shape and pour the extra glitter back into your glitter container so you can use it on your next item.

You'll need adhesive. This can be paint or glue. You can use white glue like Elmer's glue or school glue. You will need to dilute the glue with water (details below). You'll need the right kind of paint if you are painting AND glittering. The paint will be used instead of glue. You want to use water based LATEX house paint or acrylic craft paints.

If you're painting, you'll want to have your paint and brushes and rollers ready. A clean up rag or paper towels would be handy too. If you're not painting and only putting on glitter, you'll still need a small trim brush or artist brush about 1/2" wide and a 3" trim roller with a 1/4" short nap.

Method one:
This method assumes you want to paint parts of your centerpieces (or crafts), and glitter other parts. Be sure and read my guide on "How to paint styrofoam centerpieces" before you make a disastrous mistake. If you follow the sequence of what you do first, what you do next,  it will make it easier to do.

First get your work area set up with the newspaper and other supplies mentioned above.

Next (assuming you are going to paint the back side and the edges the same color), and put glitter on the front surfaces only. Using a small foam brush or a small trim brush, paint the edges first. Using a brush helps you get paint into the corners of the design. Large straight or curvy areas can sometimes be painted faster with a small 3" trim roller. Now lay the centerpieces onto the newspaper with the back side facing up, and paint the backs using the 3" trim roller. If your paint is a light color, you may need to apply 2 or 3 coats so that it's not as transparent. Let it dry in between each coat.  As your paint is drying, move your centerpieces around the newspaper slightly so that they do not stick to the paper.

Now that the edges and backs are painted and dry, you can use more of the same paint and paint the front side of ONE centerpiece at a time. Try and put a little heavier coat of paint on. This is so that the glitter can sink into the paint somewhat. When you have the area covered with paint, you want to shake on your glitter before the paint starts to dry.  Make sure all the wet painted areas are completely covered in glitter. I like to lightly press the glitter into the paint using my finger but this may be unnecessary.

The final step is to carefully turn the centerpiece over and tap on the edge of the centerpiece with a finger a couple of times to shake off the excess glitter. Set it aside to dry for an hour or two. If you have plenty of glitter left in your shaker you can just proceed with the next centerpiece. If you are low on glitter, roll the newspaper into a U shape and pour the excess glitter from the first centerpiece back into your glitter container. Clean up your paint brush and roller using dish detergent and warm water.


Method 2:
This method assumes you just want to glitter and you're NOT going to paint your centerpiece.
You will be using white glue like Elmer's or school glue. In a container (an empty yogurt cup works great) you want to put about one part water to 3 parts glue. Stir the mixture so it's blended completely. It should be about the consistency of heavy cream or creamy soup. If it is still too thick, it will be difficult to apply the glue and it may start drying too quickly. You can add more water but you should never add more than one part water to 2 parts glue. Too much water and you will remove the adhesive qualities of the glue.

Now that you have your glue/water mix, paint it on your centerpiece in the following order.
If you are glittering the back and the edges and the front, put the glue on the edges first. As you get one section covered in glue, shake on your glitter. You may need to turn the centerpiece various directions so that the glitter falls onto every area and covers it completely.

After your edges are done, lay the centerpiece with the back side facing up and paint the glue onto the back side using a small 3" trim roller. If the part you want glittered is too small for a 3" roller, just put the glue on with a brush. Put on a heavy coat of glue. Shake on the glitter and let it sit for about a half hour before turning it over and shaking off the excess glue.

Glue one centerpiece at a time so that the glue doesn't start to dry before you get the glitter on. While one centerpiece is drying, you can work on the others. The key is to let the glue dry for a while before shaking off the excess glitter. As you start getting low on glitter, roll up your newspaper into a U shape and pour the excess glitter back into your glitter container. It will be about 12 to 24 hours before your glue is completely dry, depending on how much water you added. Handle the glittered centerpieces carefully until then.

You can get additional ideas for centerpiece designs from my Ebay store DesignCutters