My favorite balloons to twist
Balloon ball (icosahedron)
Oct 1st
Here’s a balloon ball. Sure, you could just inflate a round balloon, but this is cooler. 
Balloon ball – icosahedron
In mathematical terms, it’s actually an icosahedron – a polyhedron with 20 triangular sides. It may look complicated, but because of its symmetry and basic units, it’s actually quite easy to put together. I first saw this on Vi Hart’s web site, where she has posted great instructions for this icosahedron, as well as many other mathematical shapes, such as fractals, tangles, and other polyhedra! Check it out!
To make this balloon, I took three 160 balloons and cut each in half. Each section was then used to make one of the six units. (I wanted to make an icosahedron that wasn’t too big.)
If you’d like to read a mathematical paper written about balloon twisting, check out: Computational Balloon Twisting Theory: The Theory of Twisting Polyhedra, co-authored by Hart, Martin Dermaine, and Erik Dermaine (who was one of my college professors!)
Strawberries
Jun 13th
Strawberry
I’ve been trying to think of ways of using my heart balloons, and here’s a good one!
Strawberries
You’ll need just one heart balloon, and a part of a green 160 balloon for the stem. To attach the stem to the heart balloon, you’ll use the raisin twist (the same way you attach Hello Kitty’s hair bow.)
Lastly, draw the seeds on the strawberry with a black marker.
These are really cute and really simple! And young kids will be able to recognize them easily!
Bouquet of flowers
Mar 25th
Bouquet of flowers
Bouquet of flowers in a vase
Flowers are a great gift for any occasion, and so colorful. As long as you can make a simple flower, you can make a bouquet of flowers! You can also easily add variety by making flowers of different sizes, colors, shapes, and number of petals.
To make this:
Use two yellow and two blue 260 balloons (or whatever colors you prefer) to make the four flower heads. Use two green 160 balloons for the stems of the four flowers (or use 260 balloons if you don’t have 160s). Tie one flower head to each end of the green balloon and twist in half. (Two stems are made from each balloon.) You can twist some leaves for the flowers if you’d like. Another option is that you can inflate a small scrap if you’d like the middle of the flower to be a different color. After you’ve arranged your flowers, use a part of a 160 balloon to make the ribbon to hold the flowers together.
Oh, and remember, balloon flowers (balloons in general) actually don’t like the sun – they last longer in the shade.
Flower (made with a Geo Blossom)
Mar 18th
Flower made with a Geo Blossom balloon
I have a whole bag of Geo Blossom balloons and have yet figure out what to do with them. The most common and obvious thing to make with Geo Blossom balloons is a flower, and so I made this simple flower. It looks the same on both sides.
To make this balloon, I used one Geo Blossom, one small white round, and one green 260. With the white round balloon, first make a small bubble, tie a knot as far in in as possible, thread it through the Geo Blossom, and then make a second bubble on the other side of the Geo Blossom. Then, tie a knot and wrap it around the center of the balloon (like a pinch twist) to hide the knot. Afterwards, inflate the Geo Blossom, and use the green 260 to make the stem and leaves of the flower.
Businessman balloon
Mar 10th
 Balloon businessman |
 Christian with his balloon person |
Boston is a wonderful city with great people. It’s also quite a transient city, with people coming and going for educational and professional opportunities. Now, it’s time again to bid farewell to one of our friends. Good luck and best wishes to you in your new job and all future endeavors, Christian! Boston will miss you – be sure to visit!
As you can see, the balloon person is dressed business casual with a blue shirt, gray tie, and black dress pants. Someone suggested to give the balloon person large biceps, as Christian’s pretty buff. (BTW, can anyone guess what restaurant we’re in front of?)
