How to Lock a Twist in a Balloon

The lock twist helps form the front legs of this balloon giraffe.

Balloon animals are popular at kids' birthday parties, particularly when a clown makes them, but wowing kids with your balloon tricks isn't just the domain of professional entertainers; creating your own balloon animals is relatively straightforward with just a little practice. The lock twist is one of the most common ways of binding your balloon sculpture in place; regular twists often straighten out, ruining the shape of the animal. Learning the lock twist helps take your balloon animals to the next level.

Things You'll Need

• Long, thin balloons.

Instructions

1. Blow up the long, thin balloon you are using for your animal and tie off the end.

2. Twist the balloon in the middle, making two equal sections. Hold each section so the twist doesn't straighten out.

3. Fold the twisted balloon in half so the two sections are side-by-side. The twist made in step two is at one end and the top and bottom of the balloon are at the other.

4. Grip and twist together both sections in the middle. Two sections at one end are locked in place while the others are free for extra sculpting. Twisting the parallel sections together forms a lock twist.

References

• Professor Wonder: Balloon Twists