Balloon animals: instructions with video

Twisting is modeling from balloons or twisting sausage balls into various figures. It is from long thin balls that you can get absolutely any shape, be it flowers, animals, sloops or decorations, as well as many others.

Interesting balloon figures, such as a bouquet, will be a creative gift for children and adults. After all, regardless of age, such an interesting gift only brings a smile and joy.

Original crafts made from balloons are very common. Such original figures and entire compositions decorate building facades, festive events, store windows, interior elements, walls, wedding cars, concert stages, holiday tables, and much more.

Instructions for crafts made from balloons

The most important principle of twisting is the correct formation of the main figures and connecting them together using various techniques. With just a few photo and video lessons, you can learn how to make simple figures with your own hands.

In addition to the common elongated thin balloons, other types of balloons are also used to simulate various compositions:

plastic – made from special hypoallergenic plastic, transparent in color and round in shape;
rubber - have a variety of shapes and surfaces - matte, shiny, metallic;
vinyl - made from vinyl film, the thickness of which is 0.2 mm, inflated to large sizes and intended for indoor use;
foil - made from a special metallized film of high strength, they retain their shape better and hold helium longer.

How to inflate a modeling balloon

These long, thin balloons, which some call sausages, wieners or modeling balloons, are difficult to inflate, especially if the items are new. We’ll look at what can be made from long balloons for beginners later, but now let’s learn how to inflate them correctly.

The easiest way is to use a special pump designed for balloons. If you don't have one, then use a bicycle one, just put on the nipple cap. Before inflating, be sure to rub it in your hands, pull the ends in different directions so that the rubber warms up slightly to avoid tearing with a sharp push of air.

The hole of the ball must be pulled onto the pump and the object must be inflated with light movements. Be sure to leave 10 or 15 cm deflated at the end so that when twisting the figure, excess air can move without problems into the empty spaces.

If you decide to inflate such an elastic balloon with your mouth, then be patient. Before work, do not forget to warm up the rubber in your hands by rubbing and stretching. Proceed in sections, covering every 5 cm of the ball with your hand. When the air fills this space, push it deeper with your fingers and inflate again.

At the end, slightly deflate the tight ring and tie the “blown” edge with a knot. To do this, wrap the rubber in a loop around your finger and insert the edge inside.

How to make crafts from balloons correctly

To twist sausage balloons, do not inflate the balloon all the way. If you want the ball not to burst during the process and remain intact, you should not inflate the tail to 9-12 cm, air will be pressed into it. Then it is advisable to tie a knot at the end.

Basic techniques for modeling figures from sausage balls:

Simple scrolling

First you need to think about what size bubble you need;
Then you need to squeeze the sausage at a certain distance from the knot;
With your right hand, in the place that scrolls, hold the short end of the sausage;
Using your left hand, rotate the long end of the ball around its own axis 4 – 5 times;
Subsequent scrolling of the bubbles is done in the same direction.

Scrolling with a lock

Scrolling with a “lock” is used to strengthen 3 consecutive bubbles into a specific figure:

First you need to put the last 2 bubbles together, bending the place of the sausage where they are connected;
Then you need to scroll them together 4 - 5 times around the penultimate bubble;
Experts in this field also measure the next bubble by squeezing the working area of the air sausage.

Air flowers

Making flowers from sausage balls is a surmountable task for beginners.

To create a simple flower, you will need two colored balls, one of which will be green, and the second red or any desired color:

Pump up the green ball using a pump, twist it in the middle, and make four fragments.
Bend the smaller segments in the middle and twist the petals to secure them with a lock. They are similar in appearance to the infinity symbol.
Twist the end of the ball, moving a short distance from the tail.
To make petals, the ball is connected into a ring, bent in half and fixed with a figure eight. Each half of the number is folded.
The petals are attached to the stem.

It is especially interesting to practice this art with children; the activity teaches the child patience and accuracy, and the result will cause delight and joy. At first it will take a lot of time to make an octopus, hippo or daisy. However, soon the work will only take a few minutes.

The twisting master easily and masterfully twists 33 bubbles from one long sausage. There are no boundaries for perfection.

The effect is caused by large bouquets of airy flowers. To create such a masterpiece, 10-15 flowers are made, and to secure the composition, it is tied with a silk ribbon or a bow from another balloon.

Scrolling with bend

The first thing you need is a simple twist bubble;
Then, at the required distance, you just need to bend the sausage;
Having pressed the ball in the place where two bubbles connect, you need to twist it 3 - 4 times.

Photos of crafts made from balloons can be found on the international network; they will help you decide on the choice of the figurine itself.

Balloon dog

The process of making a dog figurine:

to begin with, an elongated ball is inflated, leaving an empty tail of up to 7 - 9 cm;
then, the muzzle is twisted from the edge where the ball was tied - within 10 cm;
after this, two 6 cm ears are made, which are strengthened with the muzzle by turning the “lock”;
now a neck about 7 cm long is made;
the next action will be to scroll the dog’s two front legs; they should be longer than the neck;
Now the body of the dog is being done, it depends on the availability of the length of the sausage;
then the action is repeated with the hind legs, similar to the front ones;
the tail remains sticking out in its place - the dog is ready!

Making a craft bow

first you need to pump up the sausage, leaving a tail of about 6 cm;
after this, you need to divide the ball into three halves and make a loop from the one in the middle;
then you need to fold the elongated part in half and again divide it into 3 pieces;
now you should make one loop longer than the rest, so that you get 3 loops;
Now it is advisable to make two balls from the end that is longer;
After this, you need to wrap small balls around the middle of the structure, and the resulting bow is ready!

Origins of creativity

The art of modeling beautiful balloon products first appeared in the USA in the thirties of the 20th century. Information about the pioneers of such creativity, taken from different sources, diverges.

There are three known versions of the appearance of such art:

The discoverer and master of twisting was an American born in Pennsylvania.
The inventor of ball figurines is Henry Maar.
The popularity of this type of creativity in 1945 was brought by the clown Wally Baugh.

But already at the beginning of 1953, a popular American magazine published a detailed article on how to create figures from balloons step by step.
After 1945, thin oblong-shaped balloons began to be supplied to America from Japan, the cost of which was affordable for everyone. The package came with detailed instructions, but the quality of the material from which the balls were made remained unsatisfactory. Therefore, not everyone was able to get the intended figurine; during the work process, the balls burst. The lucky ones who managed to get a funny animal or other toy were so captivated by this activity that companies were created that made such figurines. But they were sold to people at a different price.

Firms with good financial capabilities opened production facilities for the production of material for balls. The quality of rubber was improving, and by the beginning of 1950, the production of balls that could easily be rolled up and easily inflated was put into production.

Another interesting version, which suggests that inflatable figures were made by the Aztecs, only instead of latex they used cleaned animal intestines:

The intestines were washed out.
They were sewn up with threads made from vegetables, which tend to stick to the material when dry and create an impenetrable seam.
After this, they were rolled up and inflated as they were rolled up.

It took several days to make such a figurine. The finished products were placed on the pedestal of the pyramid and sacrificed, glorifying the sun.