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Today we are going to use spiral weaving technique to make a column. The column will be the height of the ceiling in my apartment. We will make the installation without a wire frame - I will place the column next to the wall and secure it with clear sticky tape. In following instruction I am going to use the same weaving technique and even the same color pattern as you may find in the last picture in a previously published instruction "How to make balloon arch. Balloon pole". Important note: it's always better to work large sculptures with assistant - his primary task is to hold one end of the sculpture while you work on the other end of the sculpture. Otherwise bubbles pop.
Inflate all balloons leaving about 7 - 8 cm flat tails.
Inflate all balloons leaving about 7 - 8 cm flat tails.
I am going to work with two pairs of balloons: blue-white and red-white. Tie nozzles of red-white pair of balloons together. And tie nozzles of blue-white balloons together.
Place the the blue-white pair on the top of red-white pair. And then hold the red-white balloons together in one hand about 10-12 cm away from the knot.
Twist and lock in one move the first red-white pair of bubbles. We have to alternate colors to make the spiral color pattern. It means we have to leave the rest of the red balloon where is the white bubble. And the rest of the white balloon we leave where is the red bubble.
Hold the blue-white pair of balloons in one hand about 10-12 cm away from the knot.
Twist and lock in one move the first blue-white pair of bubbles. Alternate the colors. The rest of the blue balloon goes where is the white bubble and the rest of the white balloon goes where is the blue bubble.
We are going to work in this fashion following the same color pattern to the end of the sculpture. Twist balloons always in the same direction alternating the colors.
Once you get to the end of the first pair of balloons you will need to add new pair of the same color balloons.
Attach the new pair of balloons to the end of the last pair of bubbles. And then cut off the rests of the first pair of balloons and tie off the ends.
Add as many pairs of balloons as you need to make column of desirable height. Make it a bit shorter than the height of the ceiling - making it of exactly the same of large size would bend the column. I like to finish the sculpture by twisting ends of all four last bubbles in one lock twist.
We can use rest of one of the balloons to make one small bubble and lock both ends of this small bubble in one lock twist. This bubble will cover the knot at the end of the sculpture. Then we can cut off the rest of the balloons and tie of the ends. We have made the column.
In this example I am going to use three balloons of the same colors as the column (red, blue and white) to make the base / attachment of the column. We are going to twist all bubbles of the first row of the same size about 12 cm.
Twist the first red bubble. Tie the nozzle of the blue balloon with the free end of the first red bubble. Twist the first blue bubble.
Tie the nozzle of the white balloon with the free end of the first blue bubble. Twist the first blue bubble.
Tie the nozzle of the red balloon with the free end of the first white bubble. We have made the first row of the base. It has triangular shape. Important: the column should fit tightly inside of this triangle!
We are going to twist all connection bubbles between rows of the same about 2 - 3 cm size. We increase about 3 - 5 cm size of all bubbles of the second and following rows. This way the base will have a shape of pyramid. Twist small white bubble. Twist large white bubble of the second row. Twist small red bubble.
Lock free end of the large white bubble with free end of the small red bubble.
Twist large red bubble. Twist small blue bubble.
Lock free end of the large red bubble with free end of the small blue bubble. Twist large blue bubble.
Lock free end of the large blue bubble between the small and large white bubbles of the second row. We have made the second row.
Work the the third row in the same fashion.
You can make in this fashion as many rows as you like - adding new balloons as necessary. I am going to make only three rows. Twist small bubble. Lock both ends of the last small bubble in one lock twist. Cut off the rest of the balloon.
We have made the base of the column.
I have prepared two bases: one for the top and one for the bottom of the column.
Force the end of the column inside of the base from the narrow side of the base.
Fix the other end of the column fitting it inside of the second base in the same way.
Now we have to install the sculpture. Get the chair and sticky tape ready.
The ceiling in my apartment has rough surface.
I place a piece of paper between sculpture and the ceiling. Pull the column in and out of the base to adjust it height properly.
Use clear sticky tape to secure the column to the wall.
Congratulations! We have made the balloon column.
Have fun and happy twisting :)
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