This time I found an interesting project. Granted, it’s not exactly winter themed, but there are so many variations. I’ve included a few different styles in the instructions. This project is fairly low budget, and when all else fails, you can definitely use scraps of fabric for an interesting look that is similar to a collage. All you’ll need to get started is:
- A pack of balloons (And someone full of hot air to blow them up).
- Yarn, string, ribbon, lace, fabric scraps, and/or any other material you might want to use.
- Elmer’s glue (Other kinds would work but this is one of the safest).
- Newspaper (to protect your work surface).
- One or two plastic bowls (Make sure you choose bowls that you don’t mind getting dirty).
Before you start, you’ll need to prepare your mixture. In order to do this:
- Pour about half of a regular sized bottle of glue into a bowl, along with warm water.
- When adding the water, add it in small increments, and mix between each addition, so you can get it to the right consistency: this should be somewhere between the initial thickness of the glue and a watery texture.
You’ll also need to have your first materials ready. This depends on what you choose, but here are some basic ones you can use:
- If you choose to use fabric scraps, cut them into strips. Make these as long as possible, and the width should be about the length of two of your fingers together.
- For yarn or string, all you need to do is cut it into pieces about 3-4 feet long (Yarn is the most popular material used).
- If you want to try a lace balloon, just get some little lace doilies ready to use.
These are the typical materials, but you can experiment with others too! Now let’s get started:
- Lay out some newspaper at your working table (Make sure there is a space to hang something above the table).
- Blow up your first balloon to the desired size, then tie it off and hang it above the table. However, make sure it’s not too high up.
This is the part where the instructions vary depending on your chosen material.
For yarn:
- Take a strand of yarn that you should have cut in advance and dip it in your glue mixture. Make sure the whole string gets dipped into your glue.
- When you remove the string, gently squeeze excess glue off of it.
- To begin wrapping, start from the top, and wrap the first few pieces vertically, pressing the yarn gently against the balloon.
- Once you have this framework, start wrapping the rest of the balloon.
- To make it look neat, start each new piece of yarn under another, already wrapped piece. This gives your globe a very seamless style.
For lace:
- Take a doily and dip it in the mixture.
- Make sure to squeeze out the excess glue.
- Now press it flat against the balloon. Smooth out any bumps.
- When you add more doilies, make sure to layer them at the edges.
These are the most common methods, but like I said, feel free to experiment with other materials. Once you’ve finished, you’ll have to leave it to dry for a while. Make sure to test the balloon before you pop it, as it can take a long time to dry. Once it has dried, all you need to do is pop the balloon, and you have some awesome decorations to spice up any room in the house!
