Not just for kids!

Happy Birthday M and S!

I twisted some simple balloons (heart wands, flower hats, and four-legged creatures) for two special birthday girls at IHOP after our softball game one night. I used to think balloons were just for little kids, but I'm starting to see adults can enjoy them too (to my surprise!) This past summer while visiting family, I twisted some balloons for my little cousins, and I think my grandpa enjoyed them just as much. :)

(D commented that my friends aren't really adults, but I disagree!)

Hello Kitty

I made these Hello Kitty balloons for a friend’s birthday. (Happy Birthday A!) I’m glad Hello Kitty is still in!

To make this balloon:

I followed this youtube video. Note that the girl teaching how to twist the balloon is an eleven year old!

Modifications: Instead of using all 260 balloons, I used a red 160 for the hair bow, a red 350 for the body, and a white 260 for the arms and legs, so that everything would be in more accurate proportions. (A 160 is one inch in diameter, a 260 is two inches in diameter, and a 350 is three inches in diameter. This was the first time I used a 350 balloon ever, so that was pretty exciting.) You can of course use other colors for the hair bow and body. The head is made from a 5” heart balloon.

I looked up some pictures of Hello Kitty online (sanrio.com) and used that to draw the face. I tried to keep the body relatively short (Hello Kitty’s head is bigger than the rest of her body!)

To attach the hair bow to the head, you will use what is called a raisin twist, which is a pretty cute and clever technique. You basically insert a small knotted piece of (uninflated) balloon into the balloon (the head) that you want to attach the other balloon (the hair bow) and grab that knot from the outside to attach the hair bow.

[ Hello Kitty video instructions: Youtube video ]

Somewhat related (but not balloon-related): Hello Kitty Rice Crispy Treats

Frequently Asked Questions

I created a new FAQ page. In the future I'll post new questions here, as well as add them to the FAQ page.

Did you blow up all those balloons yourself?
No, I don't blow up any balloons. I use a pump in inflate balloons. I don't think I have the lungs for it, and it's just more sanitary to use a pump. Also, this way kids won't try to copy me and end up putting balloons in their mouths.

What's a 260? What's a 160?
These are different sizes of  balloons. A 260 is a balloon that is 2 inches in diameter and 60 inches long. A 160 is a balloon that is one inch wide, and 60 inches long. 260s are the most commonly used ones for balloon twisting. Unless something else is specified, you'll be using a 260 for most things. 160s are good for adding detail. 350s are another common size.

Birdies for the last SS class of the year

Yesterday was my last SS class with the 4-5 year olds - they'll be moving on to the Kindergarten class next week! They have grown so much! I made the birds above as a little gift.

Last Day of SS
We didn't have a formal lesson, so I made up some different activities. After a review game, I talked about God's creation and showed some pictures I had taken recently of some plants and insects, as well as pictures of my family (they happened to be in the same pile and the kids were interested,) and ended with a picture of the class.

Afterward, I brought out the balloons and made a couple simple animals, which the kids enjoyed. (Some of the kids started repeating "I want a ...." so I put the balloons away. My funny assistant replied "I want a hamburger" making the kids laugh.) I asked if they thought these animals I just made were special, and they said yes, as expected. Then, I reminded them that God created each of them and they were all super special!

Making the birds
You'll need one 160 and one 260. I followed the directions by Twistina. (Really nice instructions and photos!) It took longer than I expected. Adding detail, such as the legs and beak, adds more time, but they sure do look really nice and colorful. It ended up taking me about 15 minutes a bird after I got the hang of it (and some popped balloons.) I was excited to use my 160s for the first time.

I simplified the design of some of the birds: I didn't add the pinch twist at the tail for some. Also, if I had just the right amount of air left after forming the head, I didn't break off the last bit of the balloon. I would hide that last air bubble inside the body, or make it into a little chin under the beak, which also looks pretty cool.

To make the eyes: I drew eyes with regular markers on the leftover white part of a sticker sheet and then cut them out. I added a little color to some of the eyes (although you probably can't see it in the picture.) You can draw the eyes directly onto the balloon with a Sharpie, but I liked the look of having the white part of the eyes. You can also add eyebrows or eyelashes.

I made all the birds the day before, as I knew I wouldn't have time to make them all during class (about 12-15 kids). 

The birdies here are all packed up and ready to go, and they each survived the trip just fine.

[ Directions by Twistina on balloonhq.com ]