How to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles

Have you ever wanted to make your own hot air balloon and watch it gracefully float away into the night sky? Here's how.

1. Find a suitable plastic bag. Dry cleaning bags work well, but smaller garbage bags may also be used if they are very light weight. Such trash bags usually boast of high molecular density which usually translates to super thin, cheap, and flimsy. That happens to be what we're looking for. If you don't have any of these you can also use grocery bags. 
   
   
2. Attach straws together to form a circle with a diameter of about 10 inches. Do this without glue or tape by twisting one end and inserting the end of that one into the another and so on.
   
   
3. Tape the opening of the opened bag to the circle of straws. Use light weight tape, and use it sparingly.
   
   
4. Cut a 2 inch square out of thin cardboard like from that of an empty cereal box. Cut four holes near the center (the holes should be slightly smaller than the width of the birthday candles so that they will fit snugly). Use trick candles for better results, because even if they blow out, they relight themselves.
   
   
5. Attach a twelve inch piece of thread to each corner of the cardboard square.
   
   
6. Insert candles into the holes you cut. You may need to adjust the center of gravity for our cardboard candle holder to hang properly. You may even put the wax on the Cardboard and Stick it on.
   
   
7. Connect the candle holder to the balloon's opening with the four threads from our candle holder so that it hangs down below the balloon.
   
   
8. Make sure it is about a foot away from the balloon.
   
   
9. Light it and let float! You might want to make a lid or something to avoid letting it from floating to far if you want to keep it.
   
   
10. Finished.
    
    

• Keep in mind you want to keep it as light as possible - don't over do it with that tape.
• Depending of the overall size and weight, you may need to adjust the number of candles.
• Make sure that the thread is exactly 12 inches or it won't fly properly.

• Be careful not to melt the balloon while it inflates with air.
• Be aware that your balloon could catch on fire and fall out of the air.
• Find the plastic bag so that it does not harm the wildlife or litter. Would be major pity to pollute.
• Remember that if you're launching it in a house, REMEMBER about the fire safeties & the fire alarm; if possible to turn off, do that before igniting.
• Make sure you stay away from trees as they can catch fire!
• Only fly something like this if there is absolutely no fire danger! Choose a launch location like the middle of a desert.

• Very light weight plastic bag
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  Straws or a light weight piece of wire
• Thread
• Light-weight tape
• Birthday candles
• A thin piece of cardboard or one of those green little strawberry baskets
• Scissors
• Lighter/match(s)
• Ruler
• Hole puncher