how to make a animal ballon swan

How to Make a Animal Ballon Swan.

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 Swan.

1. Inflate a balloon and leave a 4-inch tail. White or black balloons both make striking swan sculptures.

2. Fold the balloon. Create a paperclip shape with the balloon; the knotted end should be at the center of the paperclip, and the tail end should jut out from the end of the paperclip. Another way to approach this shape is to create a circle with overlapping ends, then flatten it.

3. Make a basic twist. Grasp the folded balloon in the middle so that you're holding three parts: the top of the paperclip, the bottom of the paperclip and the knot in the center. Twist the three parts together, making sure you catch the knot in the twist. Hold the twist to make sure it doesn't come undone. You now have two loops with a long neck jutting out from the center twist.

4. Tuck one loop into the other. Use your free hand to close one of the loops and push it up through the other one. This creates the body of the swan, with the tucked-in loop resembling folded wings and the outer loop resembling the swan's underside. Tucking in the loop also keeps the structure from coming undone.

5. Make the head. Grasp the neck a few inches from the tail and use your hand to move some of the air into the uninflated tail part. This will cause the top of the neck to curve into the shape of the head. The remaining uninflated tail forms the swan's beak.

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.