Everybody loves balloon animals, but eventually they deflate and the fun is over. Make your own plush balloon animals, and the party never has to end!

Upcycle a pair of kid's tights into fun new toys, that make a very sweet gift. No sewing skills are required - just the ability to tie some knots. The best part is, each animal only takes one leg from the tights, so you can make two!

These toys are soft, squishy, and perfect for young children or old. So grab a pair of tights, channel your inner clown, and let's get started!

Step 1: Materials

1 pair girls tights (I used the smallest pair I could find, but would go larger next time - you can always cut off what you don't need!)
Polyfill or other stuffing
Tiny clear rubber bands (like these)
Black embroidery floss
Sturdy white thread
Sewing needle

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Step 2: Filling

Cut off one leg of the tights and stuff with polyfill batting. Artfully smush it all around to make a nice smooth tube.

Section off the tube with rubber bands as follows. I included the approximate sizes of the sections I used, but you can certainly change these to suit the size of tube you have or to make a bunny with different proportions:
Face (1.5")
Ear (3")
Ear (3")
Body (1")
Arm (1")
Arm (1")
Leg (2")
Leg (2")
Tail (just the knot in this case)

Once you've got the rubber bands where you want them, secure the sections with thread and knot. Pull on the tights to move the batting away from the divisions so they twist more easily.

Step 3: Shaping

Twist the sections together and secure with thread. Tie the ears together, the arms together, and the legs together.

You can compress the shapes more tightly by running a thread from head to tail through the interior of the body, but that is optional.

Finally, add eyes by creating French knots with the embroidery floss.

You're done! Now that you're a pro, experiment with other balloon animal shapes. I'll give you a 3-mo pro membership for posting a picture of your plush balloon animal!