How to Use the Basic Twist and Hold When Creating Balloon Animals

Balloon animals can add to your clown or magician act, livens up a child's party or just brings a smile to someone's face. If you want to make the more complicated balloon animals, you'll need to first master the basics. The basic twist and hold technique helps you create the basic shapes for balloon animals.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sculpting balloons
• Balloon pump (optional)

1. Blow up the balloon with your mouth or pump. If you use a pump, hold your hand on the part of the balloon that's on the pump; otherwise, it may fly off when you start pumping. Leave 2 to 3 inches at the end of the balloon uninflated.

2. Tie the balloon by pinching the open end of the balloon 1 to 2 inches away from the end. Pull it and wrap it around two fingers. Slip the end back through the hole of the balloon to make a knot and seal the end.

3. Determine how big of a space you need for the particular body part you want to make. Hold the balloon on either side of where you want the twist. Twist the balloon and continue to hold it, keeping the twist in place.

4. Move one hand to make another twist without releasing the first one. If you need to make another one, you can fold the balloon to hold all of the twists in place.

Tips & Warnings

• As you twist the balloon, air moves to the end of the balloon. You need room at the end each time you twist, or else the balloon will pop.
• Purchase high-quality balloons to reduce the risk of the balloon popping when you fold it in half to hold a twist.
• If you release any twist before you secure it, the twist comes undone.