How balloons are made. How to make balloons

Foil balloons are made from pieces of metallized lavsan film, with a colorful pattern or plain coating applied, connecting them by thermal welding. Since Dacron film with metal coating is very similar to foil, they are most often called “foil”, much less often - “Mylar” or “Dacron”. Foil balloons come in the following types:

Decorative - made in the shape of various stars, circles, hearts, crescents from a single-color film of bright colors. Some manufacturers cover them with holographic paint, which makes the paint shimmer and sparkle.

With a pattern - they are produced in the same forms as the design ones, but inscriptions are applied to them for all festive occasions.

The symbols are monochromatic, usually made in the form of numbers or Latin letters 80-90 centimeters high.

The figures are made in the form of animals, characters from cartoons and fairy tales, and various objects. They can be simple or voluminous.

Walking figures - they have special weights inside them that prevent them from flying up. At the slightest draft, the figure moves along the floor, turns, waves its head.

How and how to properly inflate a foil balloon?

Small balls are often filled with air, in which case the ball is usually attached to a tube with a clamp. Bulk ones measuring 18 inches or more are filled with helium. All foil balloons have an inlet (aka non-return) valve at the base, through which it is inflated with both air and helium.

To solve the question of how to inflate a balloon with air, you can use a hand pump, which has several attachments and is suitable for all types. If you don’t have a pump at hand, you can inflate with your mouth through a cocktail straw. In this case, you need to carefully insert the tube into the inlet hole towards the center of the ball, move it 5-10 centimeters inward and exhale inward. If necessary, straighten the foil ball or carefully push the tube a little deeper. After inflating, you just need to pull out the tube, the check valve will immediately close and no air will escape.

To fill foil balloons with helium, you will need a portable helium tank, a balloon attachment, and an adapter for inflating this type of balloon. The lower, wider part of the nozzle is screwed onto the cylinder, then the adapter is screwed into it. This adapter is the tube that needs to act in the same way as when inflating with air. It is advisable to blow the balloon through the tube with air before opening the balloon (just one exhalation to make sure that the air is flowing). Then you need to press the neck of the ball to the adapter, open the tap on the cylinder and start filling the ball. At first it is inflated quickly, but when almost filled, helium begins to be supplied in small portions to avoid the balloon bursting. When the foil ball is fully inflated, the tap is turned on completely, the ball is carefully removed from the adapter, tied with braid or sealed with a sealer.

A well-filled balloon does not need to be tied, as the check valve keeps the filler inside. But to prevent the ball from flying away, a braid is tied to its neck. If you tie a ribbon above the inlet, the seal of the valve may be broken and the ball will lose its elasticity, so you need to tie the ribbon below the inlet. Balls without a valve are sealed using a specialized device - a sealer, and two welds are formed on the neck of the filled ball, located above the inlet. Then a braid is tied to it.

Life expectancy of foil balloons

Their lifespan ranges from several days to a month. Helium or air slowly escapes through a check valve or through the seams that connect the parts of the balloon.

In addition, life expectancy is influenced environment: cold, heat, rain. Therefore, it is advisable not to expose the balloons to large temperature changes, not to use them in the rain or wind, and to fill and tie them correctly.

Second life of foil balloons

In order to save money when decorating a holiday, you can reuse used foil balloons, but to do this you need to properly and carefully release all the air from them, and store them unrolled in a dry and cool place, with paper between them.

If you take an inflated bubble and lower it into water, and then let it go, the bubble will jump to the top of the water and begin to float on it. In the same way, if you boil a cast iron of water, then at the bottom, above the fire, the water becomes volatile, a gas; and as steam and a little water gas gathers, it will now jump up in a bubble. First one bubble will pop out, then another, and when all the water heats up, the bubbles will pop out without stopping: then the water boils.

Just as bubbles inflated with volatile water jump out of the water, because they are lighter than water, so a bubble inflated with gas will jump out of the air to the very top of the air - hydrogen, or hot air, because hot air is lighter than cold air, and hydrogen is lighter than all gases.

Balloons are made from hydrogen and hot air. This is how you make balloons from hydrogen: make a big bubble, tie it to stakes with ropes and fill it with hydrogen. As soon as the rope is untied, the bubble will fly upward and fly until it jumps out of the air that is heavier than hydrogen. And when he jumps up, in light air, it will begin to float through the air like a bubble on water. Made from hot air Balloons Here's how: they will make a large empty ball with a neck at the bottom, like an inverted jug, and in the neck they will attach a clump of cotton, and this cotton will be soaked in alcohol and lit. The fire will heat up the air in the ball and become lighter than the cold air, and the ball will pull upward, like a bubble of water. And the ball will fly upward until it reaches air lighter than the hot air in the ball.

Almost a hundred years ago, the French, the Montgolfier brothers, invented hot air balloons. They made a ball out of linen with paper and blew hot air into it; the ball flew. Then they made another larger ball, tied a ram, a rooster and a duck under the ball and let it go. The ball rose and fell safely. Then they faked a boat under the ball and a man sat in the boat. The ball flew up so high that it disappeared from view: it flew and then descended safely. Then they came up with the idea of filling the balloons with hydrogen and began to fly even higher and faster.

In order to fly on a balloon, they tie a boat under it, and two, three, or even eight people sit in this boat and take drink and food with them.

In order to go down and up whenever you want, a valve is made in the ball, and the one who is flying can pull the rope and open and close this valve. If the ball rises too high and whoever is flying wants to lower it, then he will open the valve, the gas will come out, the ball will shrink and begin to descend. In addition, there are always sandbags on the ball. If you drop the bag, it will be easier for the ball and it will go up. If someone is flying, wants to go down and sees that something is wrong below - either a river or a forest, then he pours sand out of the bags, and the ball becomes lighter and rises again.

Launch kite Not only children love it. For adults, a fun hobby allows them to return to a carefree time for a short time and feel the joy of flying. You can buy a finished product, but it is much more interesting to make a kite on a string with your own hands. Using available materials and drawings you can easily cope with this task.

Types of kites you can make yourself

In order to make a kite with your own hands, you need 5 things: basic labor skills, materials, drawings, desire and patience. All structures are made according to the same principle: a base with aerodynamic properties of different shapes and a rope. The kite can be flat and voluminous, simple or consisting of several links.

Such a thing can be found in a store, but it will be a standard replicated version. It’s better to make a controlled kite yourself, and then fly it and enjoy the result.

The first who came up with the idea of launching a structure in the form of a kite or dragon into the sky were the Chinese. They took up this fascinating business in the 5th century BC.

Flat kite made of paper, nylon or polyethylene

Together with your children, you can make a simple version of a homemade kite called “Monk”.

Take a sheet of thick paper of any color, A4 format. Place the lower right corner to the long left side so that it aligns with the short one. It turns out to be a triangle with an upper single part. Cut it off, unfold the sheet, you get a square.
Mentally or with a pencil, draw a straight line between two opposite corners of the square - mark its axis.
Bend the piece of paper so that the right and left sides of the square “lie” on its axis.
Bend the corners twice upward according to the accordion principle.
Glue a thread 30 cm long into the middle of the accordion on both sides. The result is a “bridle”.
Tie a rope strictly in the center of the bridle to launch and control the kite.

It is impossible to control a snake without a tail, so do not forget to make a rope from ribbons or threads intertwined and tied at the bottom with a tassel.

Make 20 pieces of regular thread or 5-6 of wool. Their length for a small kite should be at least 50 cm.
Place the cut pieces together and tie them with a tassel towards the end or braid them. You can decorate the tail with bows or paper triangles.
Make a hole in the bottom corner of the kite, thread the tail through it and tie it in a knot or glue it.
If you are using ribbons or strips of fabric instead of thread, thread them through the hole, fold them over, and hem the top to the bottom.

In addition to their decorative and entertainment functions, the first kites in China were used in construction. With their help, ropes were thrown across reservoirs and ravines for the subsequent construction of bridges.

Homemade kite in 5 minutes - video

Paper, fabric and wood construction

Compared to the “Monk”, there are some complications in the manufacture of this kite. In addition to paper, you will need thin wooden slats and fabric.

To make such a kite, prepare in advance:

2 notebook sheets;
3 slats (2 60 cm long, 1 – 40 cm);
durable nylon thread;
colored fabric.

Instructions for creating a flat “Russian” kite with your own hands - video

Diagram of a triangular kite made of polyethylene

The triangle kite is another type of flat design that is more difficult to manufacture. But the result of your work will definitely please you. The snake has a classic triangular shape, bright and very beautiful.

Materials you will need:

plastic bag, better bright and dense;
slats (straight sticks made of bamboo, willow, linden, pine or just window beads);
rope or fishing line with a reel.

The dimensions of the finished product depend on the dimensions of the package and the height of the launcher. Use percentage notation as shown in the diagram. Decide which number is taken as 100%, and then use a calculator to calculate the specific values.

For accurate marking, substitute your values and calculate the parameters of the kite in centimeters

Cut out the “body” of the kite from the bag according to the drawing.
Prepare 4 slats of appropriate sizes: two side slats of the same size, one long longitudinal and one short transverse.
Secure with any glue first the side slats on the sides, then the longitudinal one in the middle, and finally the central transverse one.
Attach a keel in the middle of the kite using tape.
In the center of the lower part of the canvas, cut a hole into which to thread a tail made from scraps of bags.
Tie one fishing line to each corner and fasten them together with a knot.
Attach a fishing line with a reel to the resulting “bridle” for launching and control.

Interesting fact. In ancient times, kites were used for military purposes: for reconnaissance, sending messages or gunpowder into enemy territory.

Drawing of a diamond-shaped product

This design is made according to the same principle as a triangular kite. You will need 2 slats (60 and 30 cm), a plastic bag, fishing line and tape.

Fold the slats in a cross so that the short one intersects the long one at the height of one quarter of the total length.
Tie them together with tape or rope.
Place the resulting cross on a plastic bag.
We measure the required size and shape of the future kite
Cut the fabric into a diamond shape, leaving a small margin.
Pull it over the slatted cross, tuck the stock and glue or hem it.
We wrap the kite crosspiece with a bag and cut it off
Tie a fishing line to the intersection of the sticks and to the lower corner of the diamond. Just in case, give it a few turns and secure it well.
We tie the fishing line to the intersection of the sticks
Tie the fishing lines together with a knot to which attach the fishing line and reel. It turns out to be a bridle.
Attach a tail, also cut from cellophane, to the end of the axial stick with tape.

In order for a kite to fly well, its tail must be 10 times longer than its base.

Interesting fact. In the 13th - 14th centuries, aerial structures were used to study natural phenomena and weather observations.

You can also use the diagram to make a kite.

Making your own diamond-shaped kite - video

How to make a bird-shaped design

To get a kite that resembles a bird in flight, use one trick: secure the string between the side parts. Under the pressure of the wind it will either stretch or weaken, making the structure “winged”.

Necessary materials:

8 sticks with a diameter of less than 1 cm and a length of 30.5 cm, 3 sticks of 91.5 cm and 3 of 150 cm from linden or pine;
nylon or polyethylene film;
fishing line;
coil.

Place 150 cm long rods parallel to each other in front of you.
Place a 91.5 cm stick across, 59.75 cm from the edge.
Tie it with threads so that there is a distance of 30.5 cm between the first and second, and 61 cm between the second and third.
Stepping back 30.5 cm to the larger side, apply a second stick 91.5 cm long.
Tie 4 short slats at a distance of 30.5 cm from each other at an angle so that at the bottom they converge into a triangle (see diagram).
Cover the closed ends of the short slats with the last 91.5 cm long slats. The result is a “manger” tied in the center of the structure.
Tie everything together with threads coated with glue.
Fasten the ends of long sticks that have been previously soaked in water. You need to wet them so that they do not break when bent.
Stretch a fishing line between the ends of the “wings”.
To make the “body” of the kite, cut out a pentagon from fabric (top and bottom sides are 30.5 cm each, height 91.5 cm + 2 cm for the hem). Make a square in the center with a side length of 30.5 cm.
From the bottom corners of the square, measure 59.75 cm to the left and to the right.
Draw segments from the ends of the top and bottom sides of the pentagon to the resulting points. The result was a canvas with a window in the middle.
Sheath and glue the wooden frame of the kite.
Additionally, cut out 4 inserts for the “manger”. Each size is 30.5 x 30.5 cm. Insert them into the “windows” and glue them.
Make a tail from rope and leftover fabric, attach it to one side of the “manger”.
On the other hand, make a bridle from two fishing lines tied together and tightly tie a thread with a reel (rail) to them.

To ensure that the structure does not fall on one side and does not fall apart in the air, strictly adhere to the dimensions and firmly tie the parts together.

It is problematic to fly such a kite alone, so call your comrades and get a surge of joy from launching the “bird” into the sky.

DIY air raven - video

Volumetric (box-shaped) kites

To create a volumetric kite you will need:

wooden slats (window beads can be used) - 4 pcs. 1 m long and 6 60 cm;
large garbage bags;
a durable nylon harness on a spool from a hardware store;
scotch;
ruler;
square;
scissors;
glue.

A voluminous kite flies high and beautifully, and you can make it yourself

Secrets of a successful launch

You can fly a kite alone, but this requires a certain skill. It’s more convenient and more fun to do it together. One holds a kite, the other a spool of fishing line or thread (rail). The main condition for a successful launch is the presence of wind from 3–4 m/s, as well as open space no trees or wires.

The person holding the rope stands so that the wind blows at his back, unwinds 10–20 meters of rope and pulls it tight.
The second one moves back the length of the rope, runs up and launches the kite. He must seize the moment and pull the rope.
If the wind is not strong enough and the kite begins to lose height or cannot rise at all, the “leerman” will also have to run.

If you want to have a great time and get creative with the whole family, make a kite. Making it yourself is not at all difficult. The spirit of unity, joy and fun will be a reward for the time and effort spent.

Just as bubbles inflated with volatile water jump out of the water, because they are lighter than water, so a bubble inflated with gas - hydrogen, or hot air, will jump out of the air to the very top of the air, because hot air is lighter than cold air, and hydrogen lighter than all gases.

Balloons are made from hydrogen and hot air. This is how you make balloons from hydrogen: make a big bubble, tie it to stakes with ropes and fill it with hydrogen. As soon as the rope is untied, the bubble will fly upward and fly until it jumps out of the air that is heavier than hydrogen. And when it jumps up into the light air, it begins to float through the air like a bubble on water. This is how balloons are made from hot air: they make a large empty ball with a neck at the bottom, like an inverted jug, and in the neck they attach a piece of cotton, and this cotton is soaked in alcohol and lit. The fire will heat up the air in the ball and become lighter than the cold air, and the ball will pull upward, like a bubble of water. And the ball will fly upward until it reaches air lighter than the hot air in the ball.

In order to fly on a balloon, they tie a boat under it, and two, three, or even eight people sit in this boat and take drink and food with them.

In order to go down and up whenever you want, a valve is made in the ball, and the one who is flying can pull the rope and open and close this valve. If the ball rises too high and whoever is flying wants to lower it, he will open the valve, the gas will come out, the ball will shrink and begin to descend. In addition, there are always sandbags on the ball. If you drop the bag, it will be easier for the ball and it will go up. If someone is flying, wants to go down and sees that something is wrong below - either a river or a forest, then he pours sand out of the bags, and the ball becomes lighter and rises again.