How to Blow Up Balloon Animals

Kids love to watch adults blow up balloon animals. You can see their faces light up. Learn how to blow up your own balloon animals with these simple instructions.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Modeling balloons
• Professional balloon pump

1. Buy your modeling balloons from a party shop. The most commonly used balloons for making animals are sizes 160Q and 260Q.
2. Use a professional pump to blow up the balloon animals. It's much faster than using a manual pump or by blowing them up by mouth.
3. Do not inflate the entire balloon. Instead leave about two inches of a tail at the end. This will give the balloon the air needed to let you twist it into various shapes. Tie the balloon in a knot.
4. When you begin twisting the balloon, always start at the end with the knot, so air can move down the balloon into the tail that you left. Make all of your twists in the same direction, so that they will stay in place. Twisting in different directions will cause the balloon to un-twist.
5. To lock off two bubbles that you created in the balloon, bend one bubble down to meet the other half of the balloon. Then, twist the two bubbles together at the end to create a third bubble of equal size. These three bubbles can now be either animal ears or animal legs, depending on what you are making.
6. Another common twist is called the "Tulip." You create this by pushing the knot up into the balloon. Grab the knot with the fingers of your other hand and gently pull out your finger, leaving the knot in place. Twist the balloon above the knot to create a bubble. Then, push the knot into the bubble you just created to hold the shape in place.
7. Use a pinch twist when you have to change the direction of your animal. Create a bubble in the center and bend the balloon to meet the rest of the balloon. Pull the bubble you created away from the balloon and pinch together where the balloon is twisted to keep the shape in place.
8. These are the basic instructions to get you started. You will need to experiment with different twists to get the exact animal you want to create. Use the resources listed below to help you further.

Tips & Warnings

• Use quality balloons when creating animals. They will not burst on you, which can make balloon modeling frustrating.
• Keep your hands dry when modeling. Use talcum powder if you must.
• Keep children away from un-inflated balloons. Sticky balloons do not work well.