Materials
- Basket/Box
- ¼” Dowel
- Zip-Ties
- Hot Glue Gun
- Beach ball
- Rope
- Fabri-Tac or Super Glue or Glue Dots
- Fishing Net
- Fabric
- PVC Pipe
- Foam
- Embroidery Hoop
Directions
1. Start out by choosing the theme you would like your hot air balloon to be. Use your imagination and have fun with it!
2. Next, choose the size of basket or box you will be using. The size of the basket will
determine the scale of the hot air balloon.
3. Cut four pieces of ¼ inch dowel for the four corners of the basket.
4. Attach dowel to four corners using a hot glue gun. If you are using a woven basket, use zip-
ties to secure.
5. Use vinyl paint or paint that works on vinyl to paint the beach ball.
Tip: If using regular paint give it a clear coat OR leave beach ball as is/no painting
6. Drop beach ball in between the four dowels and tension will act as a cradle to hole beach
ball.
Tip: If you want to secure the beach ball to sticks more securely, use glue dots or Fabri-Tac. Do
not use hot glue because the beach ball will pop.
7. To create illusion that it is the rope holding the balloon in place hot glue rope on the
outside of the four dowels as well as draping on the top from dowel to dowel.
8. Drape fishing net over the top of beach ball until it reaches the horizontal rope, glue to rope
and trim
Optional: Add details to your hot air balloon with fun items like and anchor and sandbag. We
created ours with PVC pipe, dowels, foam, and embroidery hoop. For a sandbag we used a
piece of fabric, folded in half and glued it together, turned it inside out, stuffed it with batting
and tied off top. We added quilting squares directly onto the ball using Fabri-Tac. We also
made a balloon knot using fabric and rope.
9. When you set up your hot air balloon photo op make sure it is slightly above the ground so
the sandbag and anchor look like they are hanging. Shoot photo from a low angle for floating effect.
