How to Tie a Balloon

Tying a balloon can be more difficult than it looks. Here are two simple ways to get your balloon tied.

Method 1

1. Blow up a balloon, leaving enough room for a long neck at the end. Pinch the bottom of the neck with the thumb and first two fingers of your weaker hand (usually the hand with which you do not write).
   
   
2. Stretch it a few times to be sure that you can wrap it around the first two fingers of your pinching hand, with some of the neck left over.
   
   
   • If the neck is not long enough to wrap around your fingers, use your other hand to pinch the air deeper down into the balloon. If the balloon is at maximum capacity, gently let some of the air out.
3. Stretch the neck up and wrap it all the way around the first two fingers of the pinching hand.
   
   
4. Tuck the loose and of the neck between the tips of the two pinching fingers from back to front.
   
   
5. Use your other hand hand to pull the knotted balloon off your fingers, by the end of the neck.
   
   

Method 2

1. Blow up your balloon, leaving enough room for a neck and pinching with your weaker hand, as in Method 1.
   
   
2. Pull the wrapped neck of the balloon away from the two fingers, creating a slight gap, and poke the loose end in.
   
   
3. Pull the loose end of the neck through the other side of the gap, pulling the whole neck of the balloon quickly off your two fingers at the same time.
   
   

• An alternative for balloons with short necks is to try using one finger by stretching the neck away from the finger to provide enough space to pass the end of the neck through.

• Burst balloon fragments can be dangerous to pets and small children. If balloons burst throw them away, straight away. They also hurt! Be careful not to over-fill or pull the balloon.
• Use balloons appropriate for their intended use. Water balloons are designed to be small and not hold too much water and to break easily, long thin balloons are designed especially for twisting and making balloon animals, latex and other balloon types are specifically designed to hold helium etc.

• Balloon(s) of your choice