Classic balloon animals are always a hit at birthday parties. Want to go DIY at your next kids party? Read on to learn how to make balloon animals for everyone.
There are many different ways you can decorate your next kids party with balloons. But you can also use balloon animals to take the fun to the next level.
Professional balloon artists can make complex balloon animals most of us wouldn’t dare to try making.
However, if you have no idea how to make balloon animals, don’t worry. Some of the most popular balloon animals are actually a lot easier to craft than you might think.
Here’s a short guide on how to make balloon animals that kids find irresistible. Keep reading if you want to learn how to keep the kids entertained at their next party!
How to Make a Balloon Swan
Let’s kick things off with one of the easiest balloon animals to shape: the swan.
Start by inflating all but three inches of your balloon. The uninflated portion will serve as the bird’s beak when you’re done.
After you’ve done this, curl the balloon up. The two ends of the balloon should be right next to each other while facing opposite directions.
Next, grab the curled balloon and twist it in the middle. Once you have two loops, just tuck the smaller loop into the slightly larger one.
Lastly, bend the long end of the balloon to form the neck and the head. There you have it: your own swan balloon!
How to Make a Balloon Dog
A giant metallic version of a balloon dog recently sold for over $58 million. While yours won’t sell for anywhere near that, it should still be fun to make.
To start, inflate your balloon until you have a three-inch tail at the end. Stop there and tie it off.
Next, make three separate twists near the tied-off end of the balloon. This should leave you with four segments in total.
Twist the two middle segments, which will serve as the ears, together at least three times. You now have the head of the dog.
Down the long end of the balloon, make three more separate twists. Again, twist the two middle segments together to form the front legs.
Finally, make three more twists down the rest of the balloon. Twist the two middle segments together to form the back legs. You now have a beautiful balloon dog!
How to Make a Balloon Octopus
For this, you’ll need one large balloon, two small balloons, and four long balloons.
The large balloon serves as the octopus’ head. The two small balloons are the eyes, and the four long balloons are the tentacles.
Start by inflating the two small balloon and twisting them together.
Next, twist all of the long balloons near the middle. Once you’re done, twist them all together at the bottom of your large balloon.
Finally, twist the two small balloons right under the large balloon. You should now have an octopus with two large eyes.
Don’t forget to try different colored balloons for each part of the octopus!
Final Thoughts on How to Make Balloon Animals
You now know the steps on how to make balloon animals. However, you can let the kids get even more creative.
Feel free to use erasable markers to bring your balloon animals to life. For example, you can add spots to your dog. Simply drawing some eyes and a mouth can add more personality to your balloon animals as well.
If you need more help planning your next party, make sure you check out some of our other party ideas as well.