Anna has designed a pattern for a Gingerbread balloon. Balloon #003 is a small ballon having the same size and shape as Balloon #001. You cut and weave in the same way. You may make 5 balloons and set up a mobile as explained – and you may choose to mix the balloon types.
Anna also included a drawing explaining the principle of pattern construction.
Included is a pattern and a pdf-file for your cutting machine: ballon 003 cut
If you liked Anna’s balloon mobile #001, you may also like this. Anna has designed a somewhat larger and more detailed Balloon #002.
For each balloon cut four sheets in the colours you like. Because of the size of the balloon you have to glue stick each arm individually to the small disk as explained for Sphere #001. When doing so you have the chance of planning the pattern. If you want the colours to swivel use two alternating colours on the same disk. If you want a chequered pattern use only one colour but different on each disk. Weave as explained for Sphere #001. Finishing is much easier. Fix each arm with a little glue at the lower edge and the balloon is ready.
Select a ‘hanger’ piece in the colour you like best. Smear glue on one side of the top and wrap it around the lower edge of the balloon. The hangers must come down.
Choose two of the ‘basket’ pieces, fold back each arm, put one piece above the other and weave. The basket is rather small and you may like to fix the weaving with a little glue as you go along. Also fix the basket with glue at the top edge.
Take the balloon and fix the five hangers on the outer side of the basket using the rectangles. Try to make them equally long and as straight as possible. Then smear glue on one side of one of the strips in the colour of your choice and wrap it around the basked covering the base of the hangers.
Finally make a small hole in the centre disk at the top of the balloon and fix a piece of string using a small pearl or like inside the balloon.
And a file for cutting: ballon 002 cutn
Anna has designed and made the pattern for these cute small hot air balloons. Make a mobile and watch them fly and turn perpetually.
For each balloon cut two sheets in the colours you prefer. All strips are joined already and you only need to weave as described for Sphere #001. Use the glue stick to fix the strips at the edge when finished. Choose the basket pieces from the same colour as the top centre of the balloon. Make the small circular basket by gluing together bottom and sides. Form a circle from the wheel like shape and fix to the small basket as shown on the pictures. Now smear glue on both inner side of ‘wheel’ and outer side of lower edge of the balloon. Press gently together. Any inaccuracy will be dimmed. To hang the balloon make a small hole in the centre of the top and fix a piece of string tying a pearl or like to the end inside the balloon.
For the mobile on the pictures we used five balloons and 4 slim wooden sticks (12, 12, 16 and 24 cm).
This is a file for cutting: balloon mobile
You will find a video tutorial here.
