how to make a animal ballon dog

How to Make a Animal Ballon Dog.

Learn how to make balloon animals and share your skill at a festival or party. People love making a special request and seeing a colorful balloon animal come to life. Get familiar with the twisting techniques that form the foundation for every balloon animal, then put your knowledge to use by making a balloon dog, monkey, and swan.

Learning the Fundamental Twists.

1. Make a basic twist. Inflate a balloon and tie it off at the end. Grasp it near the tie in your non-dominant hand. Use your dominant hand to twist the balloon a few times so that you create a separate balloon segment. In order to keep the balloon from untwisting, hold the two segments with one hand.

Use #260 balloons, which are long balloons designed for the purpose of being made into balloon animals. These are available at party stores and costume stores. Water balloons and party balloons can't be twisted into animal shapes.

You can inflate the balloons using your lungs, but it's far easier to use a small hand pump. These are available at toy stores and party stores that sell balloon supplies.

You should be able to grasp the balloon firmly without it popping. Keep your fingernails and jewelry away from the surface of the balloon so they don't catch on the rubber and pop it. If the balloon seems to pop at the slightest touch, try using a higher-quality brand. Less expensive balloon brands use less rubber in their balloons, and the thinner surface area is much easier to pop.

2. Make a lock twist. Inflate a balloon, tie it off and make two basic twists close together, so that the balloon has a total of four segments. Hold all four segments in the same hand to keep them from coming untwisted. Use your other hand to grasp the two middle segments and gently hold them apart from the two end segments. Twist the two middle segments together three times, then hold up the balloon. The segments are now locked in place.

The lock twist is used to hold the balloon sculpture together, since without it the balloon comes untwisted.

The lock twist is also used to make small balloon animal ears and other animal features.

3. Make a fold twist. Inflate a balloon, tie it off and make one basic twist near the end. Holding the twist in place with one hand, use your other hand to fold the top of the balloon down. Grasp the twist and the top of the balloon and twist them together three times so that you form a loop. The balloon now has three segments: two end segments and one loop segment.

The fold twist functions like a lock twist, in that it prevents the balloon from becoming untwisted.

The fold twist is often used to create ears, noses, and other animal features.

Steps Making a Balloon Dog.

1. Inflate the balloon and leave a 3-inch tail. Just keep blowing until the air has inflated the balloon to about three inches from the end, then stop blowing and tie off the balloon.

2. Make three basic twists. Starting at the knotted end of the balloon, make three basic twists to create a total of four balloon segments. The first segment, which includes the balloon's knot, will form the dog's snout. It is slightly longer than the second two segments, which will form the dog's ears. The last segment, which will be twisted into the dog's body, is the longest.

Hold all of the segments in one hand to prevent them from becoming untwisted, since they have not yet been locked.

Experiment with different segment lengths for the snout and ear segments. You can also make an extra-long snout and call your balloon animal an anteater.

3. Twist the ear segments together. Use your free hand to grasp the second and third segments, the ear segments, and twist them together three times. This lock twist will keep them from coming untwisted. Do you see the dog's head?

4. Make three more basic twists. Make the first twist a few inches below the head to form a neck segment. Make two more twists below the neck to create two segments that are equal in length; these will be the front legs. Hold all the new segments in the same hand to prevent them from coming untwisted.

Would you rather have a giraffe than a dog? Make the neck segment extra long; the rest of the body is exactly the same.

You can make the leg segments long or short, but they should be the same length.

5. Twist the leg segments together. Fold the balloon at the twist between the two leg segments. Grasp the leg segments with your free hand and twist them together three times at the base of the neck. The legs and neck are now locked in place.

6. Make three more basic twists. This time divide the remaining length of the balloon into four equal segments. The first segment is the dog's body, the second two segments will become the back legs of the dog, and the final segment is the tail. Hold them all in one hand to prevent them from becoming untwisted.

7. Twist the back legs together. Fold the balloon at the twist between the two back leg segments. Grasp the segments and twist them three times at the base of the body segment. Take a look at your finished sculpture: it has a knotted nose, short ears, front legs and back legs and a tail that sticks straight up. Your work is complete.

FAQ.

Q : How do I tie a balloon?

A : Wrap it around your two fingers first, and then swoop it around in between your two fingers, then pull your fingers out and you will have a knot.

Q : How do I make a balloon ring?

A : Just tie the two ends of a long balloon together and put it around your finger. If it's too big, use a smaller balloon.

Q : How do I make a balloon sword?

A : Inflate the balloon so there is no tail and straighten the last portion of the balloon. Make a handle towards the knot using a basic twist to help lock it. Use the dog ear/leg pattern twice to make the hand guard. Maneuver the two "ears" gently as so they are opposite from each other and face perpendicular from the handle. Keep the hand guards small and the handle just big enough for your hand to fit on, otherwise you will end up with something closer to a knife.

Q : How do I make a balloon owlet?

A : Make the balloon dog, but leave it round and glue a felt or paper beak on it.

Q : How can I make a balloon caterpillar?

A : Choose a long, sausage-shaped balloon and inflate it. Make antennae by getting another balloon, twisting it into a V-shape and put it in place at the head end. Also, draw the eyes and mouth with a marker.

Tips.

Carry balloons in your pocket to school, wedding receptions, any place where children may roam.

Put glitter inside the balloons so when they pop there will be a glitter explosion that people will like.

Carry a permanent marker and make a smiley face on your animal.

If balloon pops, laugh, make a joke about "blowing up" some balloons for fun and start over. Children will back up a step but they won't leave.

If it pops, pretend that it was part of the entertainment; play it cool.

Use an inexpensive balloon pump from a toy store. Some people can inflate a #260 by mouth, but not many. Hand pumps are more sanitary.

Experiment with other sizes and shapes of balloons to make apples and bumblebees.

Every child in the room will want one. Seriously. Do not send children home crying if it can be avoided.

Use new balloons rather than stored ones. Older balloons are more likely to pop when you are inflating or twisting.

It helps to inflate the entire balloon until air is spread throughout, then to deflate it slightly, leaving about 3 inches (7.6 cm) at the end as mentioned in step 3.

Warnings.

Balloons are not for little children due to danger of choking.

Things You'll Need : Uninflated #260 balloons, Balloon pump.