Tips for Complex Balloon Animals

Series Summary

Balloon ducks have long been a favorite companion for kids. And balloon hats have long been favorites of adults. Now you can make your own ducks and balloons! Balloon animals are always a hit at kids' parties. They may look easy in the hands of an expert, but quality balloon animals are works of insight and creativity. Artists who twist and shape balloons into shapes such as animals and other various toys are known as balloon modelers or balloon twisters, and are usually contorting long, cylindrical balloons into said shapes for entertainment purposes such as children's birthday parties or celebrations. Street artisans and clowns are popular balloon modelers, and though the practice might seem benign to those who don't have the skill, but the art of balloon shaping requires a fair amount of skill.

While some modelers use a single balloon to create their animals or shapes, many use multiple balloons. Those who have been practicing the art for any serious amount of time or have gained the appropriate skill level usually don't restrict themselves to one type of twisting. For most of us, balloon art is best appreciated at a circus or fair, as a child's face lights up with happiness upon realizing a simple balloon has become an animal or toy just for them. Learn easy steps and techniques for creating balloon shapes and animals in this free instructional series.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Dan McLellen, I'm with Expert Village. We're not going to learn how to make some complex balloon animals. I'm an expert making balloon because I've been making balloons for 15 years. I've done hundreds and hundreds of corporate events, I have traveled the streets of Europe making balloons for tips. I've worked in parks, I've done parties, and I?ve also worked as a cruise ship director for Holland American, where I've made balloons to entertain people there. In addition, I was the chief fungi director of entertainment and vendor relations for picnic people, which is the fifth largest catering company in the country. Previously in the segments I've taught you some basic simple balloons like teddy bear, small flower, hearts, small hat and a curly Q. In this segment, I'm going to show you how you can combine all the simple stuff to create the appearance of making something that is really complex. I'm also going to show you how to take some simple stuff and then make what appears to be a very complex hat and finally, we're going to conclude by making a complex one balloon creature. Actually a several balloon creature to create a one creation. We're going to a duck which will incorporate several balloons into one creation."