subject: How To Make A Balloon Dog- Balloon Artist San Diego [print this page] As with all balloon "how-to" instructions, it's easier to follow on thevideo than to follow the written instructions. I recommend that you takethese written instructions for reference and find the video I made on thesame subject to help you get a clearer picture. Having offered up thatdisclaimer, here we go...
Take a 260 balloon and inflate it 2/3 full. It's important to leave some of the balloon uninflated so that the air can move down the balloon as it's displaced by the twists. Give the balloon a little stretch to get more length out of it, and to release some of the pressure.
When making balloon animals, it helps if you think of the body parts as you try to twist them... so for the simple balloon dog, we're going to make the muzzle, ears, neck, front legs, belly, back legs and tail.
Start with the nose or muzzle... twist off a bubble about 2.5 inches long. Keep hold of that bubble until it's locked to another part of the balloon. Make a small loop, about 2/3 the size of your palm, and twist that at the nose. You now have a nose and the ears.
Make a small bubble for the neck. I like mine only about 1/2 and inch or so. Some people prefer a longer neck, but I think that it's cuter with a smaller neck. Next make the loop for the front legs, and twist that to the neck bubble you are holding. You want to pay attention to how much air you have leftin the balloon and size the front legs accordingly. Remember that the back legs should be the same size, so be sure to pay attention to your proportions.
Make a bubble for the belly. Again, the actual size here depends on how much balloon and air you have left over. Usually I'll make my body about a 4- finger width. Make a bubble for the back legs, trying hard to have it match the front legs. Very important, be sure to leave some balloon with air leftover for the tail. The tail bubble is what holds the whole thing together, and without it, the balloon will unravel.
If you have enough tail leftover, you can make a little poodle tail puff. To do that separate the leftover balloon in half so that there is still a bubble putting counter pressure on the back half of the dog to keep it together. Push that air in the second half of the tail up to the top of the balloon to make the "poodle tail".
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