How to Make Juggling Balls (Balloon Method)

Fancy taking up street circus? Make these awesome juggling balls to get started!

1
Take the first colored balloon and cut small triangles in it.
2
Take the second balloon and stuff it in the first balloon.
3
Use the funnel to pour sand, rice, or seed into the inner balloon. You may want to use the blunt end of a pencil (rubber end) to pack the sand into the balloon until it is nice and firm.
4
Tie off the inner balloon.
5
Tie off the outer balloon and cut the neck off a few cm. from the knot.
6
Make two other balls, and start practicing!

1
Fill a freezer bag with one metric cup(51 US teaspoons) of rice or sand.
2
Squeeze the air out, then twist, tie and cut the loose "tail"of the bag.add another bag to the outside and do the same.
3
Cut the neck off of the balloon, put your fingers in it and try to cover as much of the freezer bags as possible(without the balloon breaking).
4
When that is complete, cut the neck off of another balloon and cover the opening of the balloon and about 3/4 of the way to the end.
5
For this balloon, cut two small holes opposite each other, then cover as much of the other balloons as possible.
6
Repeat these steps for another 2 balls.
7
Finished.

Tips

Sand works the best, because rice is getting expensive these days!
I have tested both methods, and the alt. method seems to work better and last longer.
Cut small triangles in the first balloon; they are decorative and may stretch larger if you manage to pack a lot of sand into the inner balloon.
Thin "water balloons" don't work as well. Instead, use high quality (thicker rubber) regular balloons.
You can cut the neck off of additional balloons and pull/stretch them over the initial balloons for a thicker covering which may last a little longer.
Blow up the balloon and deflate it a few times to stretch it out before beginning this procedure.
For all methods, use medium sized round balloons.
Make sure the sand is clean and dry to avoid the possibility of mold or something growing inside the balloon.

If you're just learning to juggle, oranges or ordinary beanbags work fine.
Do not put any of the contents in your mouth.
Do not leave these juggling balls where your dog might chew on them. Dogs have a hard time digesting rubber and it may cause other problems.
The balloon rubber will degrade over time. You can add new balloon "covers" from time-to-time to freshen them up, or simply toss them out and make new ones.
Do not give these balls to anybody who may choke on them or rip them open.

At least six (10 or 12 for Alt. method) medium sized round balloons. They're cheap, buy a small bag of them.
Scissors to cut decorations in the outer "cover" balloons.
Sand, rice, or seeds... any small inert granular substance.
A small funnel to guide the sand into the balloon neck(first method).
A measuring cup is handy to ensure you have the same amount of material in each ball you create.

Categories: Juggling