Bug Safari #4
Betty
This sculpture uses two yellow and two pink 260 balloon, plus a white scrap for the eyes. I used a Qualatex goldenrod for the yellow in the photo. You may also want to use fuschia instead of pink. It is more like the color in the drawings. Both of these are available in the qualatex "entertainer's assortment" or in single color bags.
Inflate the white scrap to about 3 inches and tie it off. Twist it into two
equal bubbles and then tie the opposite ends together.
Now twist the two
bubbles in opposite directions, effectively making both of them a
pinch twist. Save these for the eyes.
Inflate both yellow balloons almost all the way, and then release a little air to reduce the pressure. Tie the knot end of each balloon to its nipple end to make a big loop. Make them as close to identical as possible.
Bring the side opposite the knot over to the knot making two loops of slightly unequal size and twist it together. Again, make the two balloons as close to identical as possible.
Using the Z-bend technique, make bends in the loops to get the wings into the desired shape. Twist the two balloons together to complete the wing assembly. When the body is finished, it will attach at this same point.
Inflate one pink balloon about half way. Twist a soft 2-3-inch bubble followed by two one-inch bubbles, and give each of these bubbles a pinch twist. This will become the head after you attach the body to the wings.
Make three 3-inch bubbles and lock twist the last two together for the front legs. Make a 2-inch bubble followed by a 1-inch pinch twist, and attach the body to the wings at this point. Make another 1-inch pinch twist and arrange one of the pinch twists above the wings and the other one below. These will help you to arrange the bubbles in the right positions.
Use the rest of the balloon to make two more body segments and two more pairs of legs as shown. Whatever is left will be the tail.
| Attach the eyes to the front of the face. Use a dry-erase marker to add details to the eyes and mouth. Blow just enough air into the other pink balloon to make a 1/2 - 1 inch bubble in each end. Wrap the middle (unflated) part of this balloon around the two small pink pinch twists and bring them up behind the eyes for antennas. You can insert a penny between the back legs to help Betty stand up by herself. |
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