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Balloon Twisting From Scratch 13 Skill 8: The Tulip-Twist

Equipment:

1 modeling balloon1 pump

Level:Average difficulty

This photo tutorial is a companion piece to the video Balloon Twisting From Scratch 13 - Skill 8: The Tulip Twistwhich you can also find on Môssieur Ballon's YouTube channel.

This is the last basic skill a beginner needs under their belt : the "tulip-twist", sometimes also known as an"apple-twist" due to its shape.

We will be using this skill quite soon, in an upcoming tutorial: how to make a balloon flower. This shape can alsobe used to create the shape of the wheel of a car, etc.

1- To practice, inflate a balloon to any length. 2- Place the forefinger of your twisting hand on theballoon knot.

3- Press on the knot to push it inside the balloon. 4- Push your finger inside fairly deeply so that theknot (inside the balloon) ends up in reach of thethumb and forefinger of your support hand (outsidethe balloon).

5- Catch the knot through the balloon with thethumb and forefinger of your support hand, andhold it firmly in place.

6- While firmly keeping the knot inside the balloon,slowly pull out the forefinger of your twisting handfrom the balloon, if necessary by using the thumband middle finger of the same hand (or any otheravailable finger) in order to ease the pressure ofthe air surrounding your forefinger, caught insidethe balloon.

7- This movement must be carried out very gently,so that you can pull your finger out of the balloonwithout making it burst (the balloon, that is).

8- Using your twisting hand, press the balloon nearthe knot, still held in place through the sides of theballoon by your support hand.

9- Press... and twist, to make a bubble which willtrap the knot inside the remaining segment ofballoon.

10- Through the balloon, you can make out theknot trapped outside the tulip-twist. If you wedgeanother balloon part (flower petals for instance) intothe fold between the tulip-twist and the remainingsegment of balloon, the tulip-twist will be secureand will not be at risk of getting undone.

11- If there's no intention of using another balloonpart to secure the fold, you will then have to gentlypush the knot back inside the tulip-twist whiletwisting it around its axis.

12- Through the balloon, you can clearly make outthe knot, caught and secure in the middle of thetulip-twist.

13- And here is our finished tulip-twist! See you soon! For another lesson... with Môssieur Ballon!