How to Make a Hot Air Balloon Ornament

**   If you like this tutorial I would love it if you voted for me in the Holiday Gifts Contest.  Banner to vote on top right. **
I get inspiration from so many places.  When browsing the Restoration Hardware website I spotted an adorable hot air balloon nursery mobile.  The first thing I thought was I can make this!

I made my hot air balloon ornament, using a plastic Christmas ornament I bought at the 99 Cents Only store.  There were some cute pink ornaments there that would be perfect for a girls mobile.

Step 1:

I created a template below that you can download and print.  You can resize it to the same proportion as your ornament.  The easiest way to resize it would be to drag it into Microsoft Word and resize.  You could get fancy and do it in photoshop or get even fancier and not use the template at all and find any basket texture and draw out a template for a box.  If you just want to skip the basket making altogether see the alternative at the bottom of post.

Step1.
Materials needed are as follows:
Glue Stick
Scotch Tape
scissors or an exacto knife
2 Pennies or 1 nickel (optional)
2  pieces of string (6 inches long each)
1 loop screw
1 Plastic ball ornament
Template of hot air balloon basket cut out (template is below). When you cut out the template it is easiest to fold over the basket portion and cut them on top of each other.  That way both pieces are exactly the same shape.  You could cut them out separately but the pieces may not align if you don't cut them perfectly.

Step 2
When you cut out the template you can x non patterned side so you know which sides align. Fold the basket like the image above.

Step 3
Remove the top basket and tape a nickel ,two pennies or anything that will weigh down the basket.  This is optional. I did this as an afterthought after I

Step 4
Tape one corner together.

Step 5
Take string and attach tape onto string.

Step 6
Attach string to corner that was taped in step 4

Step 7
Do step 4 - 6 for opposite corner.

Step 8
Repeat with other string on other two corners of basket.  Make sure string is even or else basket will not be level when attached.  Use glue stick on the top part of basket and place top part of basket inside the basket.  This will make the inside and outside of basket have the same pattern and look more finished.

Step 9
Glue the "trim" strip and place around top of basket.

Step 10
Finished basket.

Step 11
Remove the "cap" off the plastic ornament.

Step 12
Place the string in an "X" position on the cap of the ornament (see image)

Step 13
Whoops I mis-numbered my diagram! There is no 13 :)

Step 14
Make sure basket is level.

Step 15
Using this loop screw, screw it into the "bottom" of the ornament (bottom of ornament is now top of hot air balloon).  You may need to predrill a small hole if your ornament is thick.

Step 16
Attach basket onto ornament by placing "cap" back on.

Step 2:

** An alternative if you don't want to make a the basket out of paper is to use a plastic soda bottle cap and paint it brown.  Hot glue the strings to it

*** If you are making this into a mobile, I would hot glue gun the cap of the ornament onto the ball so there is no risk of coming apart and being a choking hazard.  I would also hang it high enough that it cannot be reached or pulled down by the child.

Step 3:

Comments

[blommaertaud]

Thank you! I can't believe this came up on my FB today. I have been working on a gift for my Daughter and son-in-law for their first wedding anniversary. The song they used for their first dance was about going up in a red balloon and then anchoring each other down. I have been trying to craft a hot air balloon, but the basket has been a problem. Tried a few other ideas and then put it to the side in frustration. I am so happy to have found this as their anniversary is in a couple weeks and now I know I will have it finished. Thanks again for sharing this!

[Buenavista18]

Wow thanks

[Whovian123]

awesome!!!

[MissJudyAZ]

Love it!

[Muskyhusky35]

Awesome!!!! It looks so epic!!! You did a great job!!!

[indywave]

Love it!

[avril222]

i love this idea! thank you so much for sharing!! very inspiring!

[bkennelly]

Thank you so much for the fun, cute, mostly-easy idea. Love it I made one for a friend who is CRAZY about hot-air balloons. I'm giving it to her for Christmas tomorrow, but I already know she will love it.

I made the basket out of a woven ribbon and used twine for the ropes. Used a blue ornament so she can display it with the rest of her collection all year round.

[sdhardie]

I made 3 of them tonight and they turned out GREAT!! I used copper wire instead of string, and I hot-glued miniature people inside the baskets. I made the baskets out of poster board and just colored/patterned them with colored pencils. Thanks for the great idea!!

[Po1nd3xter]

Haha! Very cool idea.

[sdhardie]

My mom, grandma, sisters, and I all make ornaments for each other every Christmas, and I've been trying to think up a good one this year. I'm definitely going to make these! So cute!!! I could even crochet little baskets and hot-glue some model people into them to represent each person. Thanks for the inspiration!!! (P.S. VOTED! :D)

[domestic_engineer]

i love this. you should enter it in the bling contest

https://www.instructables.com/id/Scoochmaroo-Challenge-Bling/

[ChrysN]

Cute idea!

[rchandsa]

Thanks for all your nice comments. If you like this tutorial I would love it if you voted for me in the Holiday Gifts Contest. Banner to vote on top right.

[elektronio]

It's a great gift for my friends :-). Thanks!

[EaglesNest]

Very cute, and it would be an easy craft for kids. It would be especially adorable with a teeny tiny person or animal inside the basket.