If you are looking for a fun and inexpensive way to entertain kids at birthday parties, events, or in your free time, you might be interested in learning how to make balloon animals. It is a great activity to do of your own volition, but can also earn you some extra cash, as people often hire skilled ballon animal makers to work at parties, carnivals, festivals, restaurants, and fundraising events.

Making balloon animals is not as difficult as you might think, and will only take a few minutes to learn the basic moves. All you need are a few balloons, a little practice and the ability to do a few basic balloon twists. If you intend on making money with your new skills, or simply plan on making a lot of balloon animals, you may want to consider purchasing a good quality pump from a balloon supplier. This will help speed up the process of inflating the balloons, but will also be less taxing physically, and leave more energy for creating fun creatures for your audience.

If you would like to learn more about this fun and creative way to entertain the young and old alike, then continue reading this step-by-step guide on how to make balloon animals.

• Balloons are typically classified by their size or shape. Many professionals recommend using Qualatex brand balloons because they are less likely to pop.Expert Village: Tools for Making Balloon Animals

1. 260 balloons: 260 balloons are the most commonly used balloon by twisters.Custom Balloon Designs: Types of Balloons When fully inflated, it is approximately 2-inches in diameter and 60-inches long.Multi Hobbies: Getting to Know the Different Types of Balloons
2. 160 balloons: When inflated, these balloons are 1-inch in diameter and 60-inches long. Sometimes referred to as "Spaghetti Balloons."BalloonHQ.com: Balloon Terms
3. 350 balloons: When inflated, these balloons are 3-inches in diameter and 50-inches long. They are not commonly used in balloon design.Expert Village: All About the 350 & 646 in Balloon Folding
4. 646 balloons: When inflated, these balloons are 6-inches in diameter and 46-inches long. They are not commonly used in balloon design.Expert Village: All About the 350 & 646 in Balloon Folding
5. Round balloons: This is the standard party balloon. They are identified by a single number that indicates their diameter.
6. Heart balloons: Similar to the round balloon, but heart shaped. They are also identified by a single number that indicates their diameter. Most entertainers use 6-inch balloons.BalloonHQ.com: Balloon Terms
7. Geo-donut or donut balloons: Geo-donut balloons are specially designed to have a hole in the center.BalloonHQ.com: Balloon Terms
8. Geo-blossom or blossom balloons: Geo-blossom balloons are similar to the geo-donut balloon except it is subtly segmented into five sections (or "petals") that make it resemble a flower.BalloonHQ.com: Balloon Terms
9. Bee-body or 321 balloons: Unlike the sizing of other balloons, bee-bodies or 321 balloons are 3-inches in diameter and 13-inches long. The last inch of the balloon is dipped in another color of latex. They get their name because they are commonly used to make the figure of a bee, with the double-dipped section used for the stinger.BalloonHQ.com: Balloon Terms
10. Airship balloons: Airship balloons are shorter and wider than the standard 260 balloon. They are often used for "rocket" toys, tricks and gags. They include 315, 418, 524 and 1040 balloons.BalloonHQ.com: Balloon Terms

• YouTube: The Differences Between 160 and 260 Twisting Balloons (Time: 7:27)

• One of the biggest debates in balloon twisting is if you should blow up balloons using your mouth or a pump. In general, it is a good idea to be able to do both. A pump is necessary to pump up thinner balloons such as the 160. However, you want to have a back up system in case your pump breaks.Expert Village: Inflating Balloons With Pump

• Some will tell you that blowing up balloons using your mouth is faster and more impressive.Expert Village: Inflating Balloons With Pump However, there are some very good reasons why you don't want to use this method unless you need to:
  1. Can cause headaches, dizziness and even fainting.Custom Balloon Designs: Inflating and Tying Tips
  2. Exploding balloons can damage the eyes and hearing when that close to the face.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!
  3. Can spread germs and viruses.Custom Balloon Designs: Inflating and Tying Tips

• You will never fully inflate a balloon to make balloon animals. Instead, you leave space at the end (known as the tail) that prevents the balloon from popping when you twist it.Expert Village: Inflating Balloons With Pump The tail length will vary depending on the number of twists in the design.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!

1. Do not pull on the balloon to make it easier to inflate. This weakens the latex and increases the chance it will explode.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!
2. Use the palm of your hand to hold the balloon down away from your face when inflating it.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!
3. Keep your cheeks flat and blow up hard.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!
4. An alternate method is to try to squeeze the air in your mouth using your tongue.5min Life: How to Blow Up a Balloon (Time: 2:41)
5. Once you get a small bubble, take a deep breath and fill the balloon all at once.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!
6. Use your stomach muscles.Multi Hobbies: Blow up Your Balloons at No Risk!!
7. When practicing, inflate the balloon with a hand pump a few times to make it easier to inflate.5min Life: How to Blow Up a Balloon (Time: 2:41)

1. If you plan on doing a lot of balloon tying, purchase a good quality pump from a balloon supplier and not a party store.Expert Village: Basic Inflating & Tying Techniques to Make Balloon Animals
2. Buy more than one pump in case one breaks.Expert Village: Using a Pump to Inflate Balloons for Balloon Modeling Performance
3. Smaller pumps will take longer to inflate the balloon but are good for 160 balloons.Expert Village: Using a Pump to Inflate Balloons for Balloon Modeling Performance

• Tying a balloon seems like an easy task, but can be very difficult unless you know the right tricks. There are actually several ways to do it. Here is one method:

1. Grasp the nozzle end of the balloon with your thumb and forefinger.
2. Before tying off, let a small gust of air out of the balloon to soften it.Custom Balloon Designs: Inflating and Tying Tips
3. Pinch the balloon about 1- to 2-inches from the nozzle and release all the air from this section.Custom Balloon Designs: Inflating and Tying Tips This will give you more end to work with.
4. With your free hand, wrap the end of the balloon around the second and middle finger of the hand holding the balloon.Expert Village: Basic Inflating & Tying Techniques to Make Balloon Animals
5. Tuck the end of the balloon in between the two fingers and pull it through.
6. Pull your fingers out of the loop.
7. You may want to tape your fingers with sports tape to prevent skin wear and tear if you are doing a lot of balloons.BalloonHQ.com: How to Inflate Balloons

• Here are a few other balloon tying methods you might want to try:

• 1. YouTube: How to Tie a Knot (Time: 2:28)
  2. Expert Village: How to Tie Balloon Animals (Time: 1:14)
  3. YouTube: One Hand Balloon Knot (Time: 2:27)

• Balloon animals are basically made by forming different sizes of bubbles and twisting them together. The bubbles do not untwist because various twists are used to lock them together.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101

1. To start, pinch off a portion of the balloon near the nozzle.
2. With your other hand twist the balloon away from you about three times.Expert Village: Twisting Bubbles for Balloon Animals
3. You can repeat this process to create a second bubble by while maintaining pressure on the first bubble.Expert Village: Twisting Bubbles for Balloon Animals
4. Your next step will be determined by which type of twist you need to do.

• The lock twist is the most basic twist and the only one necessary to make a dog or giraffe.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists The most difficult thing about this twist is to learn how to use your fingers to hold the bubbles together until they are locked.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101 Here's how to do it:

1. Make three bubbles by pinching and twisting.
2. Focusing on the last two bubbles you made, bring the opposite ends together so the two bubbles are parallel and touching.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
3. Twist the two bubbles together (at the twists) to lock them in place.
4. You can speed up the lock twist by doing the middle twist first. Then fold over the balloon and twist it together.Custom Balloon Designs: The Lock Twist

• The fold or loop twist is similar to the lock twist only you use one or two bubbles instead of two or three.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists It is good for large ears, hands and feet.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists

1. Make a long bubble and bend it.
2. Apply pressure where you want the twist with one hand.Custom Balloon Designs: The Fold Twist
3. Twist the two ends together so it forms a circle.
4. You can also make a fold twist by grasping two portions of the balloon and twisting them together.Expert Village: Loop Twist Techniques Used to Make Balloon Animals

• The ear twist is often used to make ears as well as noses, hands, elbows, hips, eyes, bird's feet, lips and many more.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101 Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists

1. Make a 1- to 1.5-inch bubble.
2. Make the bubble softer by twisting the bubble larger than you need it and then untwist it slightly to squeeze out some of the air.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists
3. Twist the two ends of the same bubble together.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
4. A variation of this twist is done by folding the balloon and pinching it lightly at the fold.Expert Village: How to do the Pinch Twist in Balloon Folding

• The 3-bubble roll is also called the bird body or parrot's body because it is often used to make the body of a bird such as a parrot.

1. Make three bubbles of equal length in a row.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
2. Lock twist the first two bubbles together.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists
3. Push the third bubble in between the first two bubbles by rolling the outer two bubbles around it.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
   1. You may need to push hard.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists
   2. This will lock the third bubbleeven though there is no twist.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101

• The apple twist is done at the beginning of a balloon structure.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists It can be done with any size or shape balloon.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101 When done with long 2-inch ballons it is called a tulip twist.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists

1. Push the knot of the balloon down inside the balloon.
2. With your other hand pinch the area of the balloon around the knot (making sure you grab the knot).Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists
3. Carefully remove your finger.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
4. Twist at least four times before letting go.Custom Balloon Designs: The Tulip Twist
5. The knot will remain providing you don't release the bubble.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists
6. Variations of the apple twist include:
   1. Hook twist.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists
   2. S-Hook twist.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
   3. Yo-yo twist or split apple twist.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101
   4. Suction cups.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101
   5. Marriage twist.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101
   6. Rattlesnake tails.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101

• YouTube: How to Make Tulip Twist (Time: 1:55)

• There are other, more advanced twists that can be used to create different animals. They include:

1. Toe or Split Twist.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
2. Spiral.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
3. Z-BendProfessor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
4. Push Tie.Expert Village: Push Tie for Balloon Animals
5. Pop twist or Pinch-pop.Multi Hobbies: Different Kind of Twists Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Twists
   1. Alternative pop twist 1.Custom Balloon Designs: The Pop Twist
   2. Alternative pop twist 2.Balloonhq.com: Twisting Balloons 101

• Making a balloon dog is one of the easiest balloon animals to make and is also the basis for several other animals such as the rabbit, mouse and the giraffe. The best thing is that the only twist you need to know is the lock twist

1. Inflate a 260 balloon leaving about 2- to 4-inches uninflated for the tail.
2. Tie the balloon.
3. Twist your first bubble for the head.
4. Twist two more bubbles for the ears. These bubbles can be small or large but should be the same size. Remember to hold onto all three bubbles so they don't untwist.PBS Kids: Balloon Animals
5. Lock twist the two ear bubbles together (bubbles 2 & 3). You can now release the bubbles and they should stay. At this point the balloon should look like a nose, two ears and a long body.Creat Animals: How to Make Balloon Animals (June 23, 2008)
6. Twist a fourth bubble for the neck.
7. Twist two more bubbles for the front legs. Again, these bubbles should be the same size but do not need to be the same size as the fourth bubble.
8. Lock twist the two front legs together (bubbles 5 & 6).
9. Twist a seventh bubble for the body.
10. Twist two more bubbles for the back legs. You will probably want them to be the same size as the front legs.
11. Lock twist the two back legs together (bubbles 8 & 9). The tenth bubble will make up the tail. You can move the bubble to the end of the tail if desired.Custom Balloon Designs: Standard Balloon Dog
12. If desired, use a marker to add the eyes, mouth and a collar.PBS Kids: Balloon Animals
13. You can also undo the last lock twist to make a loop twist, tuck the front legs into the loop and make a sitting dog.Multi Hobbies: The Dog

• YouTube: How to Make a Balloon Dog (Time: 3:04)

• Once you've mastered the basic animal shape, you will want to move on to more difficult shapes. The possibilities are limitless. Here are a few resources on where you can find instructions on how to make different balloon animals.

1. 5min Life: Ori Livney Balloon Art Studio5min Life: Ori Livney Balloon Art Studio
   • Includes instructions on how to create flowers, a Valentine's balloon heart, poodle, a teddy bear, a sword, a gun, Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, a Kawasaki Ninja, a shark and starfish.5min Life: Ori Livney Balloon Art Studio
2. Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon GalleryProfessor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Gallery
   • Includes instructions on how to create a poinsetta, turkey, a camel, a dragon, a koala, kissing swans, a motorcycle, a starship, an orangutan, a penguin, a pig, a square knot hat, a teddy bear, Veggie Tales and more.Professor Wonder's Wonder Factory: Balloon Gallery
3. Custom Balloon DesignsCustom Balloon Designs: Free Site
   • Includes instructions on how to create a flower, a parrot, a teddy bear, a bird, a monkey, a sword, a poodle, a heart, a star, a squirrel, Tweety Bird, an anchor and a lion.Custom Balloon Designs: Free Site
4. Multi Hobbies: Simple SculpturesMulti Hobbies: Simple Sculptures
   • Includes instructions on how to create an elephant, a monkey, a a teddy bear, a pig and a rhino.Multi Hobbies: Simple Sculptures
5. Multi Hobbies: Advanced SculpturesMulti Hobbies: Advanced Sculptures
   • Includes instructions on how to create a snake, a dolphin, small fish, big fish and a flower.Multi Hobbies: Advanced Sculptures
6. Expert Village Video Series: Tips for Making Balloon ShapesExpert Village Video Series: Tips for Making Balloon Shapes
   • Includes instructions on how to create a flower, a heart, a hat, a bear and a curly Q.Expert Village Video Series: Tips for Making Balloon Shapes
7. Expert Village Video Series: How to Do Balloon FoldingExpert Village Video Series: How to Do Balloon Folding
   • Includes instructions on how to create a monkey, a sword, a sumo wrestler and more.Expert Village Video Series: How to Do Balloon Folding
8. Expert Village Video Series: How to Make Balloon AnimalsExpert Village Video Series: How to Make Balloon Animals
   • Includes instructions on how to create a flower, a bee, a cat, an elephant, a teddy bear, a teddy bear & flower, a swan, a hat, a monkey, a poodle, a sword, a dinosaur and a tiger with heart.Expert Village Video Series: How to Make Balloon Animals
9. Expert Village Video Series: Making Balloon AnimalsExpert Village Video Series: Making Balloon Animals
   • Includes instructions on how to create birds in a heart, birds in a swing, monkeys, poodles, a swans, a brontosaurus, horses, a moose, a making a rubber duckie and a stegosaurus.Expert Village Video Series: Making Balloon Animals
10. Expert Village Video Series: Making Advanced Balloon AnimalsExpert Village Video Series: Making Advanced Balloon Animals
    • Includes instructions on how to create a bumblebee, a cat, an elephant, a hat, swords and a hummingbird.Expert Village Video Series: Making Advanced Balloon Animals
11. Expert Village Video Series: Advanced Balloon TwistingExpert Village Video Series: Advanced Balloon Twisting
    • Includes instructions on how to create flowers, a airplane, bugs bunny, a butterfly, a candy cane, a warrior helmet, a baseball cap, a flower hat, a Mickey Nouse ears, a swan, a monkey, a motorcycle, a spider, the Pink Panther and Pluto the pup.Expert Village Video Series: Advanced Balloon Twisting
12. YouTube: Balloonanimal's Channel YouTube: Balloonanimal's Channel
    • Includes instructions on how to create a T-Rex dinosaur, a cat, a deer, a palm tree, a crown, a fireman's hat, a dolphin hat, a flower, frog, a hamster and many more.YouTube: Balloonanimal's Channel

• A mouse balloon is simply the dog balloon done with smaller bubbles. The smaller you make bubbles the better it will look.Custom Balloon Designs: Balloon Mouse Instructions

• To make a giraffe, you need to make some minor revisions to the dog balloon listed above:
  • – Make a smaller head and ears in steps 3 & 4.
  • – Make a much longer neck in step 6.
  • – Make slightly longer legs in steps 7 & 10.
  • – Make a shorter body in step 9.
• You could also opt to do an ear twist for the ears and separate the last bubble to create smaller bubbles at both the base and end of the tail.Custom Balloon Designs: Balloon Giraffe

• Like the giraffe, the bunny is created by changing proportions of the bubbles. Try to inflate the balloon enough so you end up with just a ball for the tail.Custom Balloon Designs: Balloon Bunny Rabbit Instructions Here are the revisions to the dog balloon needed to make a bunny:
  • – Make longer ears in step 4.
  • – Make a very short neck in step 6.
  • – Make shorter front legs in step 7
  • – Make a medium body in step 9.
  • – Make longer back legs in step 10.
  • – Tail in step 11 should be inflated and round.
  • – You may opt to tuck the front legs into the back legs.Expert Village: How to Make a Balloon Animal Rabbit

• Now that you have the basic moves, all you need is a bit of practice and before long you will have a your own balloon zoo. Just watch out for rogue pins and other sharp objects that can be deadly to your creations.