It’s been a long time, it was almost a shock when I looked at my site and realized I have SO much to share and I haven’t done anything about it! I have been a busy bee, so lets make with the sharing.

I’m not Martha Stewart. I’m not trying to be. I don’t think I ever really want to be.

But I do have to give her props with her creativity and skills. I decided this year that I hate our Christmas tree decorations. They were mostly shiny balls and nothing of character (in my eyes at least). So I decided that I wanted to start making some ornaments for ourselves as well as for presents.

These ones were slated to be part of the presents I was going to give out, but I didn’t figure out the most important trick to these things until AFTER I already mailed the other ones. So I just stuck them all on my tree this year.

It goes off of the whole paper-mâché idea, using watered down glue and letting it dry over a balloon to make a shape. Instead of paper I used string and wound it around a partially filled balloon and let dry.

Here’s the big problem though.

The glue really stuck to the balloon, and when the balloon was popped so I could just have the string the whole thing just crumpled.

I made about 20 of these the first time around so I was really upset after all that work and glue was wasted because ALL of them crumpled.

So I popped them all, threw them away and sulked. The glue just stuck too much to the balloons, and the glue was not making the string stiff enough to hold its shape when the balloon was popped.

Then I had an idea. It needed some sort of barrier between the balloon and the glue that would still let me get the balloon out when it was dry.

Petroleum jelly!

I do have to say, I think Husband was a little creeped out that I had glue, balloons and petroleum jelly on the table when he woke up that Saturday morning (I get up earlier than him).

I tried to apply it with a paint brush, but found that to be to gloppy and not very effective. Then I thought about how else I could do it and decided on the smooth edge of a butter knife. I was able to use the knife to spread a nicely even and thin layer of the goo around the balloon. Worked like a charm!

-How to-

Materials:

• Balloons
• String
• White glue
• Water
• Petroleum jelly
• A way to hang to dry.

Method

1. Blow up your balloons to roughly the size of an orange. Take the time to shape them into a mostly round shape. I initially thought to use water balloons, but used the regular sized ones since I couldn’t find the others.
2. Using the flat side of a butter knife (or a popcicle stick would work too) spread a thin and even layer of petroleum jelly over the entire balloon. Make sure to do this project over a covered surface!



3. Mix the glue and water in a cup or bowl. You don’t want it too thin so I suggest a ratio of 2:1 glue to water.
4. Cut a length of string and dip it in the glue mix. Get it saturated with the glue and then squeeze out just enough of the glue to the point where it won’t drip when you hang to dry. Leave it a little wet but not super drippy.
5. Wind the string in a random pattern over the greased up balloon. Try to keep it as even as possible around the whole thing.



6. Hang your balloon somewhere safe to dry. I had a metal rack in my office that I used laundry clips to secure it to the sides of the rack. Since your hands might be covered in glue, I would suggest clipping it to something that wont be damaged if a little glue transfers to it.



7. Let dry until completely dry. Carefully pop the balloon and remove using tweezers if needed. Mine came out in one big piece.



OPTIONAL: spray the string balls with spray glue and sprinkle with glitter. I kept mine plain. I was lazy.

8. Hang using a ribbon or string.