A low density, low Z foam shell overcoated with a plastic ablation layer was developed for use as a cryogenic laser fusion target in which main liquid or solid fuel is sustained by the uniformly thick foam layer. The high quality ablator with thickness of 1–10 μm, uniformity of ≳95%, and surface smoothness of <0.2 μm was coated on the foam shell by the interfacial polycondensation method using hydroxyethylcellulose or poly(p‐vinyl phenol) (PVP) and isophthaloyl chloride. The tensile strength of the crosslinked PVP at low temperature and its permeability to deuterium at room temperature are comparable with those for polystyrene. In this reaction, we found that the existence of surfactant in the emulsion was essential to form an ablation layer which adhered to the foam layer.