So, I heard about this Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, right? And they have these huge balloons, like, enormous. I saw pictures of them, and this year, there was this new one – a Smurf balloon. I don’t know what possessed me, but I just had to try and make my own mini version. A balloon Smurf, how hard could it be?
First, I got a bunch of blue balloons. Not the small ones, like for water fights, but the regular party size. I figured I needed a lot to get that Smurf-y shape. Then I grabbed some white balloons for the hat and pants. I also found some black felt scraps for the eyes and shoes in my kid’s craft box. I was feeling pretty resourceful!
The Body
- I blew up like, ten blue balloons. Maybe more, I lost count.
- I tied them together in clusters. This was tougher than I thought. My fingers were definitely getting a workout.
- Then I kind of squished the clusters together to form a roundish body. It wasn’t perfect, but hey, it was a start.
The Head and Hat
- I used another blue balloon for the head, a bit bigger than the body ones.
- For the hat, I inflated a white balloon and tried to shape it into that droopy Smurf hat. This involved a lot of twisting and hoping it wouldn’t pop.
- I carefully tied the hat to the head. It looked more like a weird blob than a Smurf hat, but I was committed.
The Details
- Cutting out the felt was easy peasy. Two circles for eyes, two little ovals for shoes.
- Sticking them on was another story. Tape wasn’t strong enough. I ended up using a hot glue gun.
- I also added a couple of white balloons for the pants. This involved more twisting and some serious balloon-wrestling.
Finally, I stood back to admire my creation. It was… interesting. It definitely didn’t look like the Macy’s version, not even close. My Smurf looked a little lumpy, a little deflated in places, and the hat was just…well, unique. But you know what? I made it! It was my own weird, wonky, homemade Smurf balloon, and I was kind of proud of it.
It was a good afternoon of fun, even though my fingers were sore and there were balloon bits all over my living room. It may not have been perfect, but I still enjoy every step of making it.