The question I have is, I want to use 5 inch round balloons to weigh down a larger sculpture to keep it upright.
What do you use to fill them with?  Water? Sand? What if they pop? The parents will be upset. Or do you put a small stand or weight under or in the middle of the round balloons?
I have done a search but have not really found the answer.

As a side question has anyone ever used water and had one pop?

thanks

Hi Twisty,

I had the same problem with weighing down table displays.

I was using water filled 6" geos, but found it difficult to tie the knot as they got so slippery in the water, and I did have some bursts,
and occasionally a small trickle.

Graeham helped me find the answer, whoch was to double stuff the 5" round, and to fill this to about 3" with water. Then it will take all sorts of batterings without leaking.

With this in the centre of the base cluster I have had no problems. Just watch the sizes of the balloons, so the base sits level.

Hope this helps

PS I will photograph another way I use for bigger things, and post later, and you could check out a base Thelma designed usig a cd

Thanks replying, can you please explian how to do it. do you fill the inner with water then fill the outer ballon with air?

Found this on YouTube hope it helps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5CVCB6c ... tube_gdata

Thanks Snurb
Thank helps clear things up. My only worry is what if the child pops it, maybe not right away but in a day or two.
thanks again for posting the video.

Hi Twisty,

Hope this makes things a bit clearer.

Blow up your 5" rounds ( and tie off in pairs. Twist 2 pairs together, and you will get a 4 leaf clover type affair. (There is a name for these things, but I don't know what it is)

When you have 2 sets of "clovers" twist them together to make the base. Have the top set nest between the balloons of the bottom set, and adjust so it sits nice.

Next for the weight. Stuff a 5" round into another with a small stick. With the nozzles level, stretch the two balloons over your tap, and fill to about 3" round. Tie off and you will have a small double layer "water bomb", which is very tough

Twist this water bomb into the cluster of base balloons and adjust so the base sits level. You can then sit your model in the base. On the floweryou can just see the white water balloon at the bottom.

This however may be of more practical use for what you need.

For larger models, use a cake stand with a hole drilled through it for the base, for more normal sized models, as there are so many CD's and DVD's given away in magazines, these are ideal to use. If you need a heavier base, just use 2 or 3 CD's.

In the photos I used a cake stand, as it photographed better than a CD as it wasn't so shiney

STEP 1  Make your model with a loop of ininflated balloon at the bottom. Then inflate a 6" geo, and get together a CD (or cake base with a hole) a lolly stick, and a bit of coat-hanger wire with a hook on the end

STEP2
Using the hook, thread it through the base and the geo, and hook it onto the balloon loop on your model. Pull the loop right through, and insert the lolly stick in the loop.

They don't pop by throwing me and my husband tested them! Maybe you could do the same. Please note if you are throwing them at each other they can bruise!!! Lol

STEP 3

The lolly stick will secure your model to the geo, and the base will give it weight to stand upright. Use the cake base for larger models, CD's for smaller pieces, or I've just thought, cheap picnic or party plates with a hole in them.

Hope this will work for you

Thank you very much Kevin, for taking the time to help with my problem.
That gives me a few things to try next time, now I don't have to tape them to the table, to get them to stand up.
thanks  Andy

Glad to have been able to help, I hope my ramblings will be of some use to you

Thank you for this great idea. I can't wait to try it (and an excuse to eat more ice lollies too).