Friday, March 1, 2013

Canada balloon flag


Materials: balloons; scissors; an air pump and permanent marker.

Buy balloons on Amazon (paid link): 
 Buy an air pump on Amazon (paid link): 

Recently, YouTube user crabmeat88 asked me to show how to make Canadian flag. As usually, I try to use the least possible number of balloons to make the sculpture. In this example we are going to use one white balloon to make a rectangle with sides six by four bubbles. And two red balloons to make two rectangles with sides six by two bubbles. We will attach all three rectangles to make a bigger rectangle with sides six by eight bubbles. Inflate all balloons leaving about eight-inch flat tails (Pic 1). We are going to twist all bubbles of the same up to one-inch size.

Twist a chain of the first five (the first through the fifth) white bubbles (Pic 2).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the second through the fifth) bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 3).

We can make first the white rectangle with sides six by four bubbles and then attach red rectangles to it. Or we can work white and red rectangles at the same time. Twist a chain of the first two red bubbles. Lock free end of the second red bubble between the fourth and the fifth white bubbles (Pic 4).

Twist a chain of the next three (the third through the fifth) red bubbles (Pic 5).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the second through the fifth) red bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 6).

Twist the sixth white bubble. Lock the free end of the sixth white bubble with the nuzzle of the red balloon. Twist the next two (the seventh and the eighth) white bubbles. Twist a chain of the next five (the sixth through the tenth) red bubbles (Pic 7).

Lock the free end of the eighth white bubble with the free end of the tenth red bubble (Pic 8).

Twist the eleventh red bubble. Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the eighth through the eleventh) red bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 9).

Twist the twelfth red bubble (Pic 10).

Lock both ends of the chain of the first twelve (the first through the twelfth) red bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 11). We have made the first red rectangle with sides six by two bubbles. 

Cut off nicely the rest of the red balloon and tie off the ends (Pic 12). We can use this scrap of the red balloon to make the second red rectangle. We can always use a new red balloon for the same purpose.

Twist the next three (the ninth through the eleventh) white bubbles (Pic 13).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the eighth through the eleventh) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 14).

Twist the twelfth white bubble. Lock both ends of the chain of the first twelve (the first through the twelfth) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 15).

Twist the next two (the thirteenth and the fourteenth) white bubbles (Pic 16).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last twelve (the third through the fourteenth) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 17).

Twist the next two (the fifteenth and the sixteenth) white bubbles. Twist the first two (the first and the second) red bubbles (Pic 18). I use a new red balloon in this example.

Lock the free end of the sixteenth white bubble with the free end of the second red bubble (Pic 19).

Twist a chain of the next three (the third through the fifth) red bubbles (Pic 20).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the second through the fifth) red bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 21).

Twist the seventeenth white bubble (Pic 22).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the fourteenth through the seventeenth) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 23).

Twist the eighteenth white bubble. Lock the free end of the eighteenth white bubble with the nozzle of the red balloon (Pic 24).

Twist the next two (the nineteenth  and the twentieth) white bubbles. Twist a chain of the next five (the sixth through the tenth) red bubbles (Pic 25).

Lock the free end of the twentieth white bubble with the free end of the tenth red bubble (Pic 26).

Twist the eleventh red bubble (Pic 27).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the eighth through the eleventh) red bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 28).

Twist the twelfth red bubble (Pic 29).

Lock both ends of the chain of the first twelve (the first through the twelfth) red bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 30). Cut off the rest of the red balloon and tie off the end. We have made the second red rectangle with sides six by two bubbles.

Twist the next two white bubbles (Pic 31).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last twelve (the eleventh through the twenty second) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 32).

Twist the next twenty third white bubble (Pic 33).

Lock both ends of the chain of the last four (the twentieth through twenty third) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 34).

Twist the last twenty fourth white bubble. Lock both ends of the chain of the first twenty four (the first through twenty fourth) white bubbles in one lock twist (Pic 35 and 36). Cut off the rest of the white balloon and tie off the ends. We have made the big rectangle with sides six by eight bubbles. Use a red permanent marker to draw symbol.


I prefer to outline the symbol first (Pic 37).

Congratulations, we have made flag of Canada (Pic 38). 
Have fun and happy twisting :)

1 comment: