Balloon Twisting and Balloon Design

Balloon Twisting and Balloon Design

Balloon twisting and balloon design is both art and a performance in itself! From years of balloon twisting at kids’ parties, I’ve learned some important things about creating balloon designs when entertaining at birthday parties and school events:

1. Hats!

Balloon hats are perfect for kids’ parties. You can go totally wild with the colors, height, and design of balloon hats.

They’re great because most balloon hats begin with a “helmet” base, and you can build off of there. That way, each kid at the birthday party can have their own unique balloon sculpture, and there is much less risk of popping if the kids are just wearing the hats on their heads instead of bopping them around. Imagine Seussical like hats floating around your party!

Some kids will request swords or balloon doggies or other balloon animals at their parties, but if a kid isn’t too particular and just wants something colorful and fun, balloon hats are the way to go!

Also…adults love balloon hats too!

2. Oh no, what if a balloon pops? Believe it or not, this can be the fun part. It’s a chance to be silly and make jokes about repairing the balloon! If a balloon doggy pops, he can go to the balloon vet! If a balloon hat pops, it can get taken to the hat repair shop! It’s an opportunity to crack silly jokes and entertain, so kids’ frowns are turned upside down very quickly, and no need for tears if a balloon goes snap, crackle, pop!

Finally, here are a couple tips for balloon twisting if you want to try it for yourself:

-          Don’t overfill your balloon with too much air: it might look nice and full if you do, but the more you twist, the more room you’ll need in the balloon, and a too-full balloon will pop more easily.

-          Practice, practice, practice! When doing certain balloon designs, sometimes the balloon has to be a certain length, or has to fit around a kid’s head. Don’t be afraid to measure a balloon around a kid’s head, it can be something silly to add to the show! When you practice the precise measurements of the balloons, and where to twist one balloon onto the next, eventually you can twist balloons at super fast speeds and it will still come out perfectly!

-          Be silly! Every step of the balloon twisting process, from blowing up the balloon, to the twisting, to adding more fun colors, is a chance to be creative! When I am making balloon designs, I always have a captive audience, and why NOT entertain at the same time? As a party clown, I often use the balloon as a silly prop, like a telephone or a bowtie, to make jokes and interact with the children as I am making the balloon creation. It really adds something special to balloon twisting, and I love it when I am able to see kids smiling the whole time!

Check out this video to see Silly Sally in action making balloon hats and entertaining at kids’ birthday parties and events:

And here is another cool instructional video for some balloon designs, if you want to try yourself!

Happy balloon twisting!

-Silly Sally