I am thinking about balloon twisting.

Hi ballooners..

I was thinking about starting balloons... Well, I was thinking about practicing and was wondering what I should get to start out and to try it. I know about the red ketchup pump from reading around and when I look at it I wonder... How does the air go into the balloon? Do you squish it, whatever?! When I start things I usually just buy tons of the first thing i see and end up selling everything off that I don't want/need. (As you have all probably noticed)

Okay, so.. Any help or little starter kits that you have seen.. when i go to a website that has balloons for sale my head explodes. I don't know the difference between qualtex, filbert, bellatex and I thought some of you might know.

Thanks in advance...

Go with the Betallatex fashion assortment to start(260's). The deluxe colors are awesome as well, but not sure if they sell an assortment of those. Don't bother with the metallix, neons, crystals ect. I just use all these to practice now. A few of the colors are nice, but you find you'll buy a whole bag once you need them.

Just get a hand pump to start and then the filbert rocks when you are ready to get serious.

Start watching youtube videos to learn. They all explain about stretching, the importance of burping, leaving a tale ect....

Hope this helps.

-Metina

I started with the carnival assortment of colors bag from Qualatex and a red pump.

Start with one balloon stuff and work your way up to two and three balloon stuff.

I learned from a very experienced and skilled twister(my bf Ryan) so I started off with 3 balloon stuff and skipped the whole beginner part. It was tough, but it was like learning to drive stick first. Worked for me.

You'll also need a black sharpie to draw stuff on the balloons.

What online store do you guys suggest to buy the supplies? I need one that accepts paypal too!!

You know what, Suzy? It would be really great if you could get along to a balloon jam, especially if you are inclined to buy everything in sight at first.

This way, you would meet lots of people that would give you the basics, teach you some good basic animals/hats, etc. and suggest what supplies you need. It's amazing how being there and being taught in person can focus the mind on what is important. You'll get inspired and meet some fun people, too.

Just my two cents. YMMV.

Kat

This is by far and away the best place I have found to order balloons. Very good price (the cheapest I found anyway) and very quick postage, great to deal with:
http://www.lpballoons.com/store/pc/

They are in Florida, and will post anywhere. They have two levels of wholesale that you can tap into. The first level all of us can use, but the second level you have to be buying a certain minimum volume in a time period to qualify, I think.

Check it out - I think you'll find they're great.

I have been using Qualatex, but I'm thinking very seriously of changing to Bettalatex, as I've heard that they are a bit sturdier with less breakage. But that can be so subjective that I don't give it a lot of credence.

Kat

I can't speak to breakage, but I can tell you first hand that Bettalatex's colors are brighter and they inflate larger than Qualatex.

I would have to disagree with doing the one balloon stuff. I wouldn't bother as these wow noone. There are plenty of two and three balloon stuff to start with that will add some WOW, but won't overwhelm you.

Though I guess the one ballooners are good to learn all the twists on I suppose, but bag em when you feel comfy with all of the twist names.

-Metina

larocks.com is my favorite!!!!

the number of balloons in your sculptures needs to depend on what you are doing... if you're just doing it at parties, where you have all the time in the world, go crazy... do 5 balloons in a sculpture. When you are doing a busy restaurant or a fair or hourly event with HUNDREDS of kids, you can't do more than one MAYBE two balloon sculptures... you just can't go fast enough. The other clown that I often work with hires me to do big events twisting with her and she gets MAD at me if I do more than one balloon in a sculpture at those... the lines never end and the person hiring us is PISSED if we don't get all the kids in the time laid out.

I recommend starting with all the one balloon sculptures on www.balloon-animals.com then move up to the harder ones. I like the style of his balloons, they're really cute.

Mr. Kelly - it sounds like you've got it sussed. When I did some substantial research three years ago, LP Balloons won hands down, but today La Rocks is the cheaper. I just did some more research, and the results are below. There are of course other companies, but these two have always had very good prices.

I've heard they're great to deal with, too. Here are some prices for you all to compare, and then it's all down to each company's postage prices that might make a difference:

La Rocks

http://www.larocks.com/balloon/balloons.htm

260Q (Qualatex) Assorted
100 Count Bag $4.85
250 Count Bag $11.50

260B (Bettalatex) Fashion Assortment
100 count bag $4.65


LP Balloons

http://www.lpballoons.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=38

TRADITIONAL ASSORTED - QUALATEX 260Q (2IN X 60IN) QTY 100

Price $4.99

ENTERTAINER PRO PACK - QUALATEX 260Q (2IN X 60IN) QTY 250

Price $12.00

Bettallic 260B

ASSORTED FASHION - 260B (2IN X 60IN) QTY 100

Price $5.12

Kat

Oops! Metina, am I violating any rules in here by posting this? I haven't checked to see if your store sells balloons or not. If so, I'll change or delete the above post.

Kat

I buy ALOT of balloons....with a clown name like Mr. Twister who would have thought right? lol they are always friendly and boy are they fast!!!

okay i placed my first order!! I just got a little red pump and a bag of 100 balloons... we shall see where this takes me!!! I also ordered the metallic powder and a button that says "Yes, I really do this for a living" HA!!

Nope Kool Kat!

If someone asks directly then post away. It is those who post without anyone asking. You are fine.

-Metina

I love your new avatar, Suzy. It rocks!

Kat

koolkatkiwi wrote:I love your new avatar, Suzy. It rocks!

Kat

I too the lovely lady bug.

*Emily

Me too! The ladybug is adorable!

Thanks guys!!

SuzySparkles wrote:okay i placed my first order!! I just got a little red pump and a bag of 100 balloons... we shall see where this takes me!!! I also ordered the metallic powder and a button that says "Yes, I really do this for a living" HA!!

I LOVE their buttons! I also have one that says Tipping isn't a city in China... and one that says my art studio's motto: Normal is boring.

Love LaRocks!

Personally, I am a big fan of Qualitex. I like the feel of their balloons better, and I've never had a problem with them. But I do have to respectfully disagree that there is no 'wow' factor in single balloons. Any balloon can have a 'wow' factor, it is simply how you make the balloon. I actually find it much more amazing when an artist pulls off an impossible sculpture using only one balloon and leave everyone standing there scratching their heads thinking "how in the heck did they do that?!" I do a t-rex with one balloon that people are crazy over. Sure, anyone can do a dog, but when the artist goes beyond that in making single balloon sculptures, I find that to be just about as amazing and 'wowing' as a multiple balloon scupture.

I've got a pretty cool one balloon motorcycle too.... when the pop twist works right LOL

My 15 yr old can do the 1 balloon motorcycle(not me... it pops every time or I run out of balloon).
Punky, will you post a pic of your dino? We do a 2 balloon dino.

sure! this one I came up with on my own several years ago and took to competition in 2007 and won 1st place with in the MCA single balloon comp.

this is harder than i thought...lol

I got my order yesterday... by rocket. i have no clue how it got to me so fast!!

I keep having the problem of when i twist the balloon...it comes un twisted...

Are you twisting ALL of your bubbles in the same direction? That is KEY. For example, when I twist, I hold the balloons steady in my left hand (I am right handed) and twist with my right, and I ALWAYS twist the balloon away from me directionally. If I were (for example) to twist the balloon away form me first, then on the next twist twist towards me, then I end up with a candy wrapper effect and it will come undone. This take practice, but soon, it will become natural. OH! and never let go of the front of the sculpture until you have twisted the series of bubbles to be twisted. I'm sure there are plenty of youTube vids to show you this.