Balloon Dog
Inflate the balloon and leave a 3 in (7.6 cm) tail. Keep blowing until the air has inflated the balloon to about 3 in (7.6 cm) from the end, then stop blowing and tie off the balloon. The small “tail” that you leave will become the dog’s actual tail in the end. Always use balloons specifically made for balloon animals. Qualatex and Betallatex balloons are great for making balloon animals. Always use a balloon pump to inflate your balloons.
Make 3 basic twists to create 4 segments. Start at the base of the balloon (at the balloon’s knot) and twist the balloon 2 times to create the dog’s snout. Make 2 more twists that are slightly shorter than the first segment to form the dog’s ears. Leave the last segment alone; this will become the dog’s body. Hold all of the segments in 1 hand to prevent them from becoming untwisted, since they have not yet been locked. You can also make an extra-long snout and call your balloon animal an anteater.
Twist the ear segments together. Use your free hand to grasp the second and third segments, the ear segments, and twist them together 3 times. This lock twist will keep them from coming untwisted. Do you see the dog's head yet?
Make 3 more basic twists for the neck and 2 legs. Make the first twist a few inches below the head to form a neck segment. Make 2 more twists below the neck to create 2 segments that are equal in length; these will be the front legs. Hold all the new segments in the same hand to prevent them from coming untwisted. Would you rather have a giraffe than a dog? Make the neck segment extra long; the rest of the body is exactly the same. You can make the leg segments long or short, but they should be about the same length (otherwise, your dog might not be able to stand up!).
Twist the leg segments together. Fold the balloon at the twist between the 2 leg segments. Grasp the leg segments with your free hand and twist them together 3 times at the base of the neck. The legs and neck are now locked in place, so you can let go if you need to.
Make 3 more basic twists along the remaining length of the balloon. The first segment is the dog's body, the second 2 segments will become the back legs of the dog, and the final segment is the tail. Hold them all in one hand to prevent them from becoming untwisted.
Twist the back legs together. Fold the balloon at the twist between the two back leg segments. Grasp the segments and twist them 3 times at the base of the body segment. Take a look at your finished sculpture: it has a knotted nose, short ears, front legs and back legs and a tail that sticks straight up. Your work is complete! Want to make your balloon dog even cuter? Use a permanent marker to give them 2 eyes and a mouth.
Balloon Swan
Inflate a balloon and leave a 4 in (10 cm) tail. You can pick any color for your swan, but white or black balloons both make striking swan sculptures. Tie your balloon off to keep it inflated.
Bend the balloon into a paper clip spiral shape. Roll the ballon in on itself to put the knotted end at the center of the “paper clip” shape. Keep the tail end jutting out from the paper clip. Then, pinch the middle to hold the balloon together.
Twist the middle of the balloon together. Grasp the folded balloon in the middle so that you're holding 3 parts: the top of the paperclip, the bottom of the paperclip and the knot in the center. Twist the 3 parts together, making sure you catch the knot in the twist. Hold the twist to make sure it doesn't come undone. You now have 2 loops with a long neck jutting out from the center twist.
Tuck 1 loop into the other. Use your free hand to close one of the loops and push it up through the other one. This creates the body of the swan, with the tucked-in loop resembling folded wings and the outer loop resembling the swan's underside. Tucking in the loop also keeps the structure from coming undone.
Pinch the long portion to create the head. Grasp the neck a few inches from the tail and use your hand to move some of the air into the uninflated tail part. This will cause the top of the neck to curve into the shape of the head. The remaining uninflated tail forms the swan's beak. Use a marker to give your swan eyes if you’d like to.
Balloon Monkey
Inflate the balloon and leave a 6 in (15 cm) tail at the end. Leaving a shorter tail might result in the balloon popping halfway through the sculpting process, so make sure you have plenty of uninflated balloon at the end. Tie off the balloon with a knot.
Make a basic twist 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) away from the knot. This will create a small segment that will be the monkey's face. Hold both segments in one hand to prevent them from untwisting.
Make a short fold twist. Start by making a second basic twist close to the first one so that you have a small segment in between the twists. Fold the segment so that the two twists line up. Use your free hand to grasp the folded segment and twist it 3 times to lock it in place. You've just made the monkey's first ear!
Do another basic twist. A couple of inches from the first ear, make another basic twist to create a short segment. Hold it in 1 hand so that it doesn't untwist. This new short segment will be the monkey's forehead.
Make another short fold twist. Start by making a second basic twist close to the first one so that you have a new small segment between the twists. Fold this segment so that the 2 twists line up. Use your free hand to grasp the folded segment and twist it 3 times to lock it in place. This is the monkey's second ear. You can already see the monkey’s head starting to form during this step!
Twist the ears together. Carefully grasp the two ears by the twists at their bases. The forehead segment will be sticking out between them. Twist the ears together three times to lock them in place. The monkey's head is now complete: it has a nose, a forehead, and two ears.
Make 3 more basic twists for the arms and neck. Make the first twist a few inches below the head to form the neck segment. Make two more twists lower down to form two segments that are equal in length. These will become the monkey's arms. Hold all of the segments in one hand to prevent them from untwisting.
Twist the arms together. Fold the balloon at the twist between the two arm segments. Grasp the segments and twist them three times at the base of the neck segment to lock the arms and neck in place. The balloon should now resemble a monkey with a head, neck and arms.
Make 3 more basic twists to create the body and legs. Make the first twist a few inches below the arms to form the body segment. Make 2 more twists lower down to form 2 segments that are equal in length. These will become the monkey's legs. Hold all of the segments in one hand to prevent them from untwisting. Leave plenty of room at the end of the balloon for the tail, which should be the longest segment of all.
Twist the legs together. Fold the balloon at the twist between the two leg segments. Grasp the segments and twist them together 3 times at the base of the body. The body and legs are now locked in place, and the tail is hanging down from the body. Your monkey is now complete! Make your monkey even more adorable by drawing a face on with a permanent marker.
Inflate a coconut tree trunk for your monkey to hang onto. Choose a balloon in a contrasting color and inflate it completely, then tie it off (no need to leave a tail at the end). Slide it between the monkey's arms and legs so that the monkey appears to be climbing it. Enjoy your monkey balloon animal!
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