Make A Beautiful Fall Decoration Out Of A Balloon & Newspaper
Fall decorations can really make an impression — and can be much more varied than just horse chestnuts and red and yellow leaves. Why not make your own ornamental pumpkin? Thanks to its long-lasting durability, it can be used again and again. And when it comes to Halloween, you can decorate without sacrificing a perfectly good edible pumpkin too!
You'll Need:
- 1 balloon
- masking tape
- parcel twine
- scissors
- Scotch tape
- liquid craft glue
- a paintbrush
- newspaper
- acrylic spray paint in at least two colors
Here's How:
1. First, blow up the balloon. Twist the neck of it shut and wrap a piece of masking tape around it, so that no air can escape. But don't knot it just yet. Now take a ball of parcel twine and use masking tape to fix the end of it next to the sealed neck of the balloon. Then wind the twine from there over the opposite end of the balloon and back to the same point.
2. Repeat this process, first turning the balloon 90° left or right, so that when you turn the balloon on its axis, you see a total of four strings dividing the balloon into equal segments. Wrap the twine around the balloon another two times until you have divided the balloon into eight segments. You should finish with the ball of twine above your starting point. Cut it there, leaving some spare to tie off. Now remove the masking tape holding the other end down and knot them together at the neck of the balloon. Now fix all eight strings of twine in place around the balloon with some Scotch tape. You'll need eight strips in total.
3. At the place underneath where all the strings intersect, stick them down securely with more scotch tape, so that they don't slip out of place. Now remove the tape from the neck of the balloon and blow a little more air in so that it takes on a definite pumpkin shape, before tying a knot in the neck. Next, mix the craft clue with water, three parts glue to one part water. You can be generous with amount you make, as you'll need enough to cover the entire balloon twice over. Then, tear most of a newspaper into long strips. Use the paint brush to cover an eighth of the balloon and immediately stick the newspaper strips down to fill the gap between the strings.
4. Do this until the entire balloon is covered with paper. Now you need to make the stalk. Take about half a page of newspaper, fold it once, roll it up and then fold it again. It should roughly form a rectangular shape. Wrap a generous amount of masking tape around it so the stalk becomes compact. Then stick short strips of masking tape around one end of the stalk, leaving the ends of the tape free. Use these strips to attach the stalk over the neck of the balloon. Once the stalk is in place, paint the second layer of glue around the entire balloon. After the glue has dried, it's time for the last step: spray painting your ornamental pumpkin. After all, it's not very decorative without it. The stalk should be a different color from the body of the pumpkin. Gold, for example, has a particularly eye-catching effect.
How's that for a standout bit of crafting? It's not every day you turn a balloon into a pumpkin. And even better, the effort is worth it. Your home will look fantastic and your guests will wonder how you did it.