Megan Atwood - How to Make Balloon Animals

Published by The Childs World
1980 Lookout Drive Mankato, MN 56003-1705
800-599-READ www.childsworld.com

Acknowledgments
The Childs World: Mary Berendes, Publishing Director
Red Line Editorial: Editorial direction and production
The Design Lab: Design

Photographs : Johanna Goodyear/Shutterstock Images, 4

Copyright 2014 by The Childs World
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1623235581
LCCN: 2013931423

Printed in the United States of America
Mankato, MN
July, 2013
PA02176

About the Author

Megan Atwood lives in Saint Paul,
Minnesota, with two cats. She makes
balloon shapes whenever she can.

About the Illustrator

Kelsey Oseid is an illustrator and graphic
designer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When shes not drawing, she likes to
do craft projects, bake cookies, go
on walks, and play with her two cats,
Jamie and Fiona. You can find her work
at www.kelseyoseid.com.

Table of Contents

Its Balloon Time!

Tying Your Balloon

First, stretch out your
balloon a few times until its
nice and flexible. Then blow
it up using your balloon
pump. Hold on to the tie
end. Then wrap it around
your first finger and your
middle finger. Put the end
of the balloon through the
space between your first
and second fingers. The
more you practice, the better
you will be at tying your
balloon!

Have you ever watched a clown make shapes out of balloons?
Did you know that you can do it, too? This book will teach
you how. Well start with a few basic projects. Then well
move on to some awesome animals. Get ready to impress
your friends with your balloon-twisting skills!

Youll need a few tools before you start. You can ask
your parents to help you find them in a store or online.

For the projects in this book, youll need:
Long, skinny balloons for making shapes
1 round party balloon
A balloon pump

Safety Tips

Its always important to
stay safe. Balloons can pop.
Popping can be dangerous
if it happens near your eyes.
Make sure you hold the
balloon away from you. Ask
an adult to help you the first
few times you make your
balloon shapes.

What youll need:

1 long balloon
Balloon pump

Balloon Sword

Your first project will teach you some easy balloon-twisting
tricks. Swords can be dangerous. Lets make one thats as
light as air.

Use whatever color balloon you want. Remember to
stretch your balloon out before blowing it up. Leave a bit of
room at the tip of the balloon. That way the balloons air has
a place to go if the twisting gets too tight. Tie the end of your
balloon. Now youre ready to go!

step

Put your hand up to the
tie end of your inflated
balloon. Look at where
your pinkie finger hits.
This is where you will
put your first twist.

Twist the balloon. Now
you should have two
segments , one long and
one short.

step

step

Now fold up the long
segment of the balloon.
The crease should be
about a pinkies length
away from the step 2
twist.

Make another twist near
the step 2 twist to create
part of a handle.

step

Now just do the same
thing on the other side!
Twist the balloon into
the twist where the first
loop is.

Now youre ready for a super
safe sword fight!

step

What youll need:

1 long balloon
Balloon pump

Unicorn Horn

Now its time to twist a balloon into something you can wear.
Follow the steps below to make a magical unicorn horn.

step

Pick a balloon of
whatever color you
want. Then blow it up.
Remember to leave a
bit of space at the tip!

Hold your pinkie
finger up against the
tie end of the balloon.
Make a twist where
your pinkie ends.

step

Now take your
step 2 twist and
make a loop with the
rest of the balloon.
The loop should fit
around your head.

Now take your
step 2 twist and twist
it into the rest of the
balloon.

Place the loop on your
head so the horn is
in front.

step

Easy! You just made a
sharp-looking unicorn horn.

What youll need:

1 long balloon
1 round party balloon
Balloon pump

Balloon Fish

Have you ever wished for an inflatable fish? Its your
lucky day!

This project will use two balloons. Youll need one long
balloon and one round party balloon.

step

Well start by
making the fishs
body. Blow up
your long balloon.
Make sure to leave
a little bit of space
in the tip.

Fold the balloon in
half.

step

Twist the two ends together
about a hands length from
the end of the balloon. Your
fish has a body!

Now blow up the round
party balloon. Make it big
enough that it will fit snugly
inside the loop you made in
step 3 . The party balloon
will be your fishs belly!

Carefully put the inflated
round balloon inside your
fishs body.

step

Now try putting your fish in the