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Sketch the design first to make a Valentine's Day balloon sculpture.
Valentine's Day balloon sculptures can be attention-attracting and cute. They can also be artistic expressions of emotion, as instillation artist Larry Moss exemplifies with whimsical balloon sculptures that he claims embody, "the fine art of folding air." Create your own Valentine balloon sculpture of a traditional heart through designing a heart-shaped metal structure and attaching clusters of colored balloons to the frame.
Instructions
1. Draw a sketch on paper of the Valentine's Day heart sculpture you want to create. Use a ruler to get the exact measurements for the sculpture in the drawing. For instance, if you would like your Valentine's Day sculpture to be 3 feet high, make the sketch 3 inches high.
2. Calculate the approximate perimeter of the sculpture by taking a piece of string and following the line of the design. Measure the string to a ruler and multiply to get the actual foot length.
3. Obtain 1/4 inch aluminum rod for the frame. If the sculpture will be a 3-foot tall heart, purchase 7 feet of 1/4-inch aluminum rod. Have it cut into two even pieces.
4. Shape one rod into half of the heart shape. Lay the second rod on top to replicate the same shape. Hold the rods together to ensure that the heart is symmetrical, trimming if necessary. Use duct tape to secure the rods at the base of the heart and the interior "v" intersection.
5. Blow up 160 balloons either on your own or using a pump for a 3-foot high sculpture. Tie every two balloons together with one knot. Gather two sets of balloons into a cluster of four and tie with a string. Set clusters on a large blanket so they do not pop.
6. Hang the sculpture frame with at least two feet of string from a garage door opening, ceiling or a tree branch so that it does not touch anything.
7. Wrap the clusters of four balloons around the sculpture starting from the "v" center and going down one side clockwise and the other side counter-clockwise.
8. Tie a decorative bow using the 2 feet of ribbon to the center "v" of the sculpture.
