balloon1

Recently, one of my favorite stores had the cutest window display! The windows were full of adorable hot air balloons, in all different colors and sizes. My daughter asked me if we could make something like them for her to play with. Using simple paper mâché and old fruit baskets from the farmers’ market, this idea is the easiest way to create these fun balloons. A perfect craft to do with children for play or with your girlfriends for a shower!

Supplies you need:

  • A balloon (size will vary depending on how big you want it to be)
  • Small baskets, farmers’ market fruit baskets, or even paper cups
  • Paint, or any decor you would like for the balloon
  • Sta-Flo liquid starch (I found it at Walmart)
  • String, yarn, or twine
  • Newspaper
  • Plain white paper
  • Fishing wire (optional)

balloon2

Directions:

  1. Plan ahead! This project takes a few days to allow for drying. Bring out your inner first-grader (yes, I enlisted the help of mine!), and paper mâché the balloon. Blow up your balloon and place it bottom side down into a wide-mouthed jar or cup. Pour some starch in a bowl. Shred your newspaper into strips. Dip one strip into the bowl and saturate it with starch. Squeeze off any excess, then lay the strip on the balloon. Repeat this process until the whole balloon is covered in one layer of newspaper. Let it dry overnight.
  2. On day 2, repeat the same process as the first step, going over your first layer of newspaper. Make sure your first layer is dry before you do this. Let it dry overnight.
  3. On day 3, repeat the same process, only this time instead of using newspaper, use white paper. I used computer paper. Let it dry overnight
  4. Once the paper is dry and somewhat hard, it’s time to paint! Start by popping your balloon. If you let it sit for an hour, the balloon will peel itself out of the hard paper mâché. Paint and decorate your balloon. Please keep in mind, the paper outside will probably not be smooth. Mine wasn’t at all. Unless you are really good at paper mâché, it will probably have lumps. That’s totally ok!
  5. Next, poke a hole on the top of the balloon and, if you are using fishing wire to hang the balloon, pull the wire through the hole and tie it to a metal washer (the washer will be on the inside of the balloon). This will keep it from pulling out when you hang it.
  6. At the bottom of the balloon, and on the top of your basket, poke four small holes in both. Cut four pieces of your string and tie the basket to the bottom of the balloon.
  7. Now it’s time to play!