String balloon pumpkins

A blown-up balloon, orange thread dipped in glue, and once it's dry you pop the balloon: what's left is a light, lacy pumpkin.

Age : age 5+, with a grown-up

Materials

• Small balloons : One per pumpkin, blown up to the size of an orange or a grapefruit.
• Orange cotton thread (fine yarn or crochet cotton) : Several metres per pumpkin.
• White PVA glue : Half a glass.
• A little water : To thin the glue.
• A bowl and cling film or a plastic bag : To protect the table.
• Green pipe cleaner or green paper : For the stalk and leaf.
• A pin, for the grown-up : To pop the balloon.

Steps

Wind

1. Blow up the balloon and tie a knot.
2. In the bowl, mix the glue with a little water: a nice runny cream.
3. Dip the thread in the glue, then slide it between two fingers to wipe off the extra.
4. Wind the thread round the balloon in every direction, crossing it lots, and leave the area round the knot free.
5. Keep going until only small gaps are left. Glue down the end of the thread.
6. Hang the balloon by its knot over a plastic sheet.

Once it's dry

1. Wait until the thread is as hard as cardboard: 24 to 48 hours.
2. The grown-up pricks the balloon with the pin near the knot: it deflates and comes away from the thread.
3. Pull the balloon out through a gap.
4. Add a twisted green pipe cleaner stalk and a paper leaf.
5. Make a whole family of pumpkins in different sizes.

As it dries, the glue goes hard and joins all the threads together: they form a solid shell, even when the balloon holding it up is gone.

With white thread and two black eyes you get a round ghost; slip a string of LED fairy lights inside and it becomes a lantern.

If it goes wrong

• The shell caves in when you pop the balloon : Wait longer, or start again with more criss-crossing.
• The thread won't stick : Less water in the glue.
• The balloon went down while drying : Dry it in a mild room, away from radiators.

Safety

• Bits of popped balloon are dangerous for little ones (choking risk): the grown-up picks them up straight away.
• The pin stays with the grown-up.

Sources

• Vidéo d'origine : allamcrafts (Instagram)

All activities