There’s gold in them thar balloon scraps, as the transportation bottleneck is creating a balloon shortage. I’m finding myself using more and more balloon scraps because most of the colors I wanted were out of stock the last time I ordered.
Things I’ve learned
- Not all balloon animals need a body.
- Reflex, chrome, neon, and pastel are alternatives as the client only sees the colors present to them.
- Balloon scraps are useful when running out of colors
Decades ago, I entertained at Harrah’s Casino and learned that twisting balloons for the six-hour shifts, four to five days a week will destroy an entertainer’s hands. I found myself twisting smarter and not harder.
The balloon shortage has me thinking about what I offer and how I make them this year. Before the shortage, it was common for me to try a new design, not like it, pop it, and rebuild it using different balloons. Now I’m thinking, how can I use the scraps?
Designs That Work With Scraps
Scrapes are excellent for adding details and when you need a small balloon bubble for a nose. Yet, if you stretch the balloon on inflation, you can transform a 260-balloon scrap into a 160-balloon. I find the stretching technique extremely helpful, as 160 balloons are out of stock in many colors.
The last time I tried to order 260 red balloons, my supplier was out of stock. I chose Reflex Red by Betallatex as my substitute.
Use half of a “red,” white, blush, and an eighth of a blue balloon to make this Elf.
In hindsight, I should have used a green scrap, but I used the balloons I cut in half for this design.
Santa was made with half a red and blush, one white 260, and a scrap of the blue balloon. What I like about characters with hats, prominent ears, or a face with details allows me to eliminate the body as the detail is all in the face. Santa is one of those characters, and if Santa has nobody, neither will Santa elves or reindeer.
If fifty people comment about this design in the blog, I will make a FREE video tutorial on making Santa and upload it to my YouTube channel. So please share this blog with your balloon friends, and make sure they leave a comment. This will push me to make a video.
Subscribe to our blog by email by adding your email address to the form on the right. Keep up with current ideas, information, and fun stories!
Go ahead and read more on these topics with the links below.
Thank you 🙂
Gotta try my hand at making smaller designs like yours. I like using scraps for the ears on dogs.
This gives me something to think about! Thank you!