How to Make a Balloon Animal Cat

You can make a great balloon cat in moments, if you know what you're doing. This skill will impress your friends and family, and can provide hours of cheap entertainment. It's also a good shape to master before moving on to even more complicated balloon animals.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Stretch the balloon prior to blowing it up. By doing this, you make it easier to manipulate the balloon into the shapes that will create your balloon cat.

2. Pinch the balloon in half before you blow it up. This creates the uninflated portion that will ultimately become the tail for your balloon cat. Inflate the balloon up to that point and tie it off.

3. Start a little less than an inch from the tied end and twist the balloon to create a bubble. Create three such bubbles, one right next to the other.

4. Twist the second and third bubble around one another to secure each in place. The result should be the face of the cat with two ears, and the tied-off portion of the balloon creating the cat's nose.

5. Create another bubble by twisting the balloon about 2 inches down from the head of the cat. This makes the neck.

6. Make two more bubbles that are also 2 inches in length behind the neck. Twist them together to make the front legs of your balloon cat.

7. Twist another bubble for the body. Then, twist the remaining section of the inflated portion in half. Bend each half forward and tuck the front paws in. This makes the shape of a cat sitting up on its rear haunches.

Tips & Warnings

• Balloons break, so have several on hand.
• Never give balloons to children who are young enough to try and eat them. Small bits of balloon material can become trapped in the windpipe of small children and choke them.