My Balloon Twisting Obsession
Hello my name is Eric and I'm a balloon twistoholic. Seriously I love to create all sorts of animals and objects from balloons. It all started when I saw a guy creating amazing balloon animals, hats and all sorts of things at my nephews birthday party... he was a huge hit and the kids were so happy and amazed at what he could make. Ever since I secretly harboured a desire to learn the art.
Well my opportunity came a couple years later at my churches' fall festival, I volunteered to run the balloon twisting booth and was told that I would be taught by the guy who manned the booth last year. Well Ed taught me what he knew which no offence to Ed wasn't all that impressive (after seeing what the guy at my nephews birthday party could do). So I thanked Ed and decided that I needed to learn more.
I found some good resources online and at the library, but learning how to create some of the cooler designs was hard to learn from books and webpages. I found that I learned the best by watching someone do it. During my surfing I came across this great balloon twisting website that provided instant access to a step by step video guide of over 40 simple but still really cool balloon designs. What I liked about the videos is that Sam (the guy who created the videos) starts out by showing the very basics and then progresses on to the more advanced designs.
Another big difference I found in Sam's videos was that his videos were shot from behind him so you could follow his actions very easily (as oppposed to most of the videos I found that were shot from the front and were hard to follow). Anyway enough about Sam's videos... I'll simply say that I highly recommend them for anyone looking to learn balloon twisting.
In case you're wondering my balloon twisting booth was a hit at the fall festival and since I've been asked to do all sorts of charity events and even some birthday parties. Balloon twisting has been very fulfilling and while I do it mainly for free (ie: charities, fundraisers etc...) I've since met several "professional" balloon twisters who make a very nice part time income.
Why Learn Balloon Twisting?
Everybody remembers balloon animals from when we were kids. These fun toys provided an awful lot of enjoyment for a simple balloon. Did you know that it's also easy to learn? Even though you can produce some fairly complicated shapes with a balloon, it's not all that hard to learn the fun art of balloon twisting. Balloon twisting, or modeling, refers to turning special balloons into almost any shape you can imagine. Not only is it a fun party trick to show the kids, but you can also make money doing something you love. It's also a great add-on to any fundraiser that can help you church, school or organization raise a suprisingly large chunk of money. You just need few supplies and some training and you can get started in balloon twisting right away. What Can You Make With Balloons?
There are two basic kinds of balloon twisting - single balloon types and multiple balloon twisting. Each style has its own set of challenges and skills. Most twisters use both styles as needed, allowing them to produce animals, hats, swords, hearts, and just about anything you can imagine. You can even put things inside the balloons, like balls, other balloons, and small toys. If you're making balloon twists for your own children or at a small party, you could even put candy into the balloons, but this is not advised if you're doing this professionally. This is because of possible liability if a toy is mistaken for the candy. Possible balloon designs include snakes, hippos, motorcycles, birds, swords, and many other varied options. With balloon twisting, your imagination's the limit.In case you are wondering in the training videos I mentioned Sam teaches you to create the following great designs: Rainbow Hat, Squirrel, Mouse, Giraffe, Rabbit, Dino Hat, Crown, Star Hat, Elephant, Parrot, Swan, Two Love Birds, Harley Balloonson, Crabby Crab, Dog, Teddy Bear, Cat, Dinosaur, Butterfly, Fish, Sword 1, Sword 2, Helmet, Ray Gun, Heart In A Heart, Cutie Rabbit, Double Poodle In Heart, Aero plane, Turban, Dove, Boing Boing Flower, Six Petal Flower, Teddy Bear With Heart, Double Swan, Bracelet, Panther, Mama Poodle, Tweety Bird, Ducky Duck, Pink Panther, Monkey, Horse, Snowman, Godzilla, Braided Heart, Rabbit
What Do You Need To Get Started With Balloon Twisting?
If you're thinking about getting started in balloon twisting, you'll need a few supplies. The simplest thing you can start with is just a balloon. Twisting balloons are specialty items, so you may need to shop around at party stores to find the right balloon. You can inflate it with your lungs, the traditional way, but these days most people use a small electric air pump to inflate their balloons. You must not inflate your balloon fully, because a little bit of give is necessary to allow for twisting it without causing it to pop. Where Can You Find Balloon Twisting Instructions?
From the simple and iconic balloon dog to complicated multi-balloon designs what you choose to create is up to you. Once you have a mastered the basics of balloon twisting, you should consider experimenting to make your own designs. You'll probably pop a few along the way, but your imagination can help you come up with great balloon designs that will amuse and entertain everyone! Balloon twisting is a fun and rewarding hobby that just happens to be easy to learn. Your supplies are cheap, and all you need in addition to them is time and imagination. If you'd like to find a new and entertaining art form, look up balloon twisting today.
