Introduction: Balloon Snowman

I make balloon art. I started off with the standard balloon animals, but have since expanded my skills beyond the basic dog and butterfly. I often make my balloons as a tableside entertainer in restaurants while people are waiting for their food. The best part about doing this is the requests for balloon shapes that I receive. A big request this winter has been snowmen. Perhaps it's because I'm in Florida and we don't really get snow so people want what they can't have, or maybe the movie Frozen has something to do with it (perhaps a balloon Olaf will come in a future Instructable), but whatever the reason, I've been having trouble keeping white balloons in stock over the popularity of snowmen.

Now this is the part where I start using fancy balloon talk. If you've played with balloons before, you probably will know what I'm talking about. I came up with design on a slow night at a restaurant after getting a couple snowman requests. It uses two white 260s, one black 260, 1 brown or blush 160, and a balloon scrap for the carrot nose. You'll need to know some basic balloon twisting techniques, specifically normal twists, bird body, pinch twists, and loop twists. I know there are several designs out there that use rounds for the snowman's body, but I prefer to only stock 260s and 160s due to the ability to add more details. You may be using twice as many balloons on this snowman, but don't be a cheapskate. Balloons don't cost much.

Now, on to the Instructable!

Step 1: White Balloons

You're going to use two white 260 balloons for the snowman. I fill each of the white balloons with about five pumps of air and have enough twisting space to spare in the balloon. I use a dual-action pump, meaning it blows air as I'm pumping in and out. I count each motion as a pump, so out is counted as one. In is two, and so on.

Step 2: Twist #1

I start with the lower snowball on the snowman. The first step to making this section is a twist about six inches from the knot in one of the white balloons.

Step 3: Twist #2

Twist another bubble about the same length as the first. Fold the two bubbles next to one another and twist the knot into the end of the second bubble.

Step 4: Twist #3

Make one more bubble about the same size as the first two. You're going to make a bird body and push the third bubble between and through the loop made by the first two bubbles. At this point, the lower snowball of the snowman is complete.

Step 5: Twist #4

You're now making the second snowball on the snowman. Start out by making a bubble about four inches long at the end of the bird body from the previous step.

Step 6: Twist #5

This is where the second white balloon is used. Take the knot and twist it into the end of the bubble from the previous step. Twist another bubble in the second balloon and wrap it into where the previous bubble began.

Step 7: Twist #6

Make one more bubble the same size as the previous two. Twist the two ends of the balloons together and you are now done with the second snowball on the snowman.

Step 8: Twist #7 (Twig Arms)

I used a mocha 160 balloon for the the snowman's arms. There isn't really much twisting with this step. It's more sliding and pinching the balloon. Slide the 160 between the bubbles of the second snowball until you get the arm length that you want. Pinch/bend the 160 to add some shape to the arms. Twist, cut off, and tie off the extra brown balloon that you no longer want if too long.

Step 9: Twist #8

You're now going to make the snowman's head. Take the two leftover white balloons and twist them together, making two bubbles each about three inches long.

Step 10: Twist #9

Take one of the white balloons coming from the top of the head. Make another three inch bubble and wrap it into the bottom of the head.

Step 11: Twist #10

Make a small pinch twist with the one remaining balloon coming from the top of the snowman's head. At this point you're all done with the white balloons. Pop and tie off whatever extra balloon you may have left.

Step 12: Twist #11-13

Now you're onto the black 260 balloon. This is going to be for the snowman's hat. Wrap the knot into the pinch twist on the top of the snowman's head. You're then going to make a loop twist. Repeat that two more times so you have three black loops surrounding the white pinch twist.

Step 13: Twist #14

You're now going to make one more loop twist in the black balloon. This loop should be slightly larger than the previous three. Arrange the loop so this one goes vertical over the pinch twist while the other three remain horizontal.

Step 14: Carrot Nose

For the snowman's nose, take a scrap of an orange balloon. Leave the balloon uninflated. Slide it between two of the bubbles making up the snowman's head.

Step 15: Decorate

At this point, no more balloons are used in the snowman. He's basically complete except for his face. Take a Sharpie and draw on some dots for coal eyes and a coal mouth. Add some buttons too if you'd like.

With that, you're done. You have now made a balloon snowman! Let's hope not too many balloons were popped in the process!

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