first catch your balloon

Yesterday the smallest sprog and I tried an experiment: keen to be a Good Mother, I thought some art bonding time might be good. We found a number of tutorials on the intertubes to make string balls using balloons, glue and string, which seemed a simple and fun thing to do with an 8 year old.

Looking back, this was my first mistake. Second mistake was doing it in gazillionty degree heat. After half an hour we were both sticky with equal parts glue and sweat, the balloons were bolshy and the string, or in this case thick silk thread, was reluctant to stick to anything except itself and make a nice tightly knotted lump while it was about it.

Then after a couple of hours drying time (the intertubes said to leave overnight but it was so hot they dried quickly)  Sprog was bitterly disappointed that instead of a nice hard ball he ended up with this - one flaccid balloon firmly stuck to its wrapping.

 I managed to tease the balloon away from the thread but it was still definitely not round.

Mine were more successful - I think because I used more thread.

Here they are with the balloons removed and gently stretched into shape.

  I liked all of them - I think they ended up being much more interesting than string balls. 

I think this technique has lots of potential and I would like to experiment using different types of glues and threads. But perhaps not with a 8 year old and  not on a hot day.