In recent years, balloon crafts have been very popular for decorating rooms and for playing with children. People are especially fond of long balloons, from which you can create a huge number of figures of animals, insects, various objects, and, of course, flowers. What can be made from long balloons? A large bouquet of multi-coloured daisies or roses will become an unforgettable gift or room decoration.

And how fun it will be for children if each child is presented with a craft as a gift at a party! Funny figures look attractive, and children can play for a long time with them. 260 balloons are often used for this purpose.

Balloon twisting: the essence

From the very beginning, you need to acquire the necessary materials in order to make figures from balloons. You need to buy only high-quality latex balloons specially made for twisting. You need to use only high-quality and fresh balloons to achieve the desired result and avoid unpleasant disappointments in learning how to twist figures. You can purchase the balloons you need at specialised stores. Such balloons come in a wide range of colours and are often sold in packs of 100 balloons.

To learn the basic balloon twisting techniques, you need to buy balloons called 260. These are long, thin balloons that are most often used for twisting balloon figures. In balloon modelling, other sizes are also used, such as 160, 350.

Also, you need to purchase a special pump for inflating balloons. The two-way hand pump will help you easily inflate the balloon to the desired balloon length.

Rules for inflating balloons

Then, learn the necessary rules for inflating balloons. One of the basic rules for creating animal figures from balloons is that you need to keep in mind the proportions of future figures. A fully inflated balloon is very difficult to roll up, and there is a risk that it may even burst. To avoid these unpleasant moments, you need to inflate the balloon, not to its full size, but leave a small tail, about 10 – 15 cm.

The presence of free space in the balloon will allow you to twist the necessary knots easily, and at the same time, excess air will go into the tail without creating excessive internal pressure on the walls of the balloon.

It all depends on the complexity of the shape of the balloon figurine. The more complex the figure and the more knots and twists are there, the less you need to inflate the balloon.

The art of modelling with balloons requires a lot of attention and quite a long practice. You can achieve amazing results by mastering the basic techniques of twisting balloons and constantly practicing.

Ball twisting techniques

Let’s now take a look at the techniques that are the most popular nowadays.

  • The “ottoman” technique is when part of the air is distilled into the tail. It is used when making the tail of an animal often.
  • The loop technique is the connection of two joints of one long bubble.
  • There is also a technique where three identical bubbles are twisted one after another, and then the twist between the first and second bubbles is connected with the twist between the second and third.
  • The “beads” technique is the connection of the extreme joints of a chain of several round bubbles.
  • “Tulip” technique – the end of the ball with a knot is pushed inward with the finger of one hand, grasped with two fingers of the other hand, and holding the end, a twist is made. After this, release and slightly push the knot inward.

Using these techniques, you can perform different shapes according to the scheme. Understandably, these are just several techniques. Explore and learn more!