Decorative balloon

Last night I attempted to make a decorative balloon. I’m not sure what they’re actually called, but it’s basically a balloon wrapped in string and glue and after the glue has dried you can pop the balloon to reveal the decoration. Honestly, that’s the best I can do – just go here for a better look.

I decided I wanted to have a go even if it might be a bit time consuming but soon after I started (at 9pm last night – why?) I kind of regretted it. It was messy. It was sticky. And after inspecting the drying balloon this morning, I’m not all that convinced it's going to work.

So along with a balloon, string, glue and a curtain ring (bear with me!) – as well as a lot of patience and a lot of old cloths – I started my balloon related craft.

I didn't take any photos of the different stages as I was literally covered in glue. But I have taken a few from WikiHow to give you an idea of what I was trying to do.

You will definitely need a large mat or some old newspapers for your surface – and prepare to use more of your surface than you thought – my glue went everywhere. Home Bargains used to sell children’s mats for 99p – I have three of these and they are so handy.

Then, blow up your balloon – not too big or it will take forever – and put some diluted glue in a shallow dish.

At this point, all the instructions online tell you to cut your thread into manageable lengths. There are no manageable lengths. I found it easier to use a ball of thread and roll it out as I needed it – trying my very best not to get glue all over the ball. Trying anyway.

Now, this is where the curtain ring comes in really handy. You can use anything really, a bolt would work well, you just need something the thread can go through but which is heavy enough to hold down the thread in the glue. Believe me, it’s worth finding something for this – I hate to think how messy it could have been without it.

Now the super duper messy bit. Dip the thread in the glue and use your fingers to squeeze out any excess glue – it needs to be covered but not soaked.

Now wrap. Anyway you like. And anyway you can manage. You need a lot more thread than you think as you shouldn’t have any holes that are larger than the tip of your index finger. Easier said than done. To be honest, my balloon could have done with a few extra layers, but I really couldn’t be bothered. After this one has dried, I might try adding some more.

Now hang the balloon some where to dry, ensuring you place newspaper or a painting mat underneath to catch any drips. Then wait. And wait some more. A balloon covered in string and glue can take a surprisingly long time to dry. I’m still waiting.

I’m guessing I’ll now either need to wrap some more thread and glue around my balloon. Or be brave and pop the balloon and hope it doesn’t end up looking like this.

If you’re still interested in having a go at making this – please let me know how it goes. Especially if you think you made as much mess as I did!