Our family loves to make displays for all major holidays, both indoors and out so when we were provided the opportunity to check out the 4-in-1 Pro Tool Kit from Hot Wire Foam Factory we began to do our research and come up with ideas to try it out with. Once the package arrived, we got even more excited once we saw what the kit included.

To begin with, the entire kit is contained in a sturdy little toolbox where everything can be stored together, including extra cutting wires for the free-hand routing tool that allows you to bend your wire and create custom designs (think waves in the ocean and blowing sands in the desert) as well as the mini-scroll table (it looks like a regular scroll saw but it small-sized with a hot wire rather than a cutting blade).

Also included in the kit are an instructional DVD, a 3-inch knife, and a precision engraver. Everything we needed to begin our adventures in sculpting!

Eager to get started, our son-in-law quickly popped the included DVD into his player so he and EJ could see how things were done in the demonstrations. They also went online and checked out some videos on YouTube of other folks who use the 4-in-1 Kit to create some amazing designs and displays. M explained to me about folks who use this for cos-play costumes to help keep them light even though they may look like the heavy armor of the Knights of the Round Table as well as for displays for their models.

He was a little frustrated that he would have to wait until their next shopping trip to buy supplies including foam, coating, and paints but then figured out he could get started right away by simply using some of the Styrofoam packaging they had received in Christmas packages. Recycling at its best and a super way to keep costs down especially when you are just starting out with this craft.

They began by plugging in the power supply that comes in the kit and attaching it to the engraving tool then carving letters into some scrap white Styrofoam realizing this method would help them create some fun decoration for Halloween this year (picture hand engraved foam headstones with humorous sayings on them like you see at some theme parks).

After doing the melting and engraving (it was pretty easy but make sure you do this in an extremely well- ventilated area, outdoors would be my preference, since the melting foam does get quite odorous) they decided to try their hand at carving what looked to me like stair steps on the side of a hill. For this, they used the sculpting tool both with and without the included wire tensioner. Once these layers were done, they glued them together and used them for a Lego display. It was great to see them working and imagining how they could create and improve things with something as simple and inexpensive as foam.

Finally, they decided to try out the mini-scroll saw and hot knife to see what they could do and again discovered the fun of allowing their imaginations to run free. Finishing only once they were asked to clear the table for dinner, the guys found it was easy to pack things up and store them in the provided toolbox once they allowed them to cool off. I certainly appreciate craft kits that can be contained neatly!

This kit comes with a price tag of about $130 and there are many items you can order from the website to go with it. There are also several free resources including videos and pictures of projects that others have completed that can act as a jumping off point to get you started with new ideas.

Overall, this has been a popular tool kit in our home that kids and adults alike have enjoyed working with together.

-Product Review by Kimberley Linkletter, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2019