Balloon Art
Happy Birthday Bear

This cute Balloon Art Bear can be used as a table centerpiece.

Happy Birthday Bear can be used to watch over the gift table or to keep an eye on your birthday cake.

---

Balloon Art Bear Supplies

2 brown or gold colored laytex balloons
Party hat
Glue dots or Masking tape (duct tape also works)
Ribbon or premade bow
Markers
Wiggle eyes (optional,as you can draw/paint the eyes on)
Crepe paper to match colors in the hat
Paper plate or brown construction paper
Paper cup
2 brown socks

Assembling the Balloon Art Bear

Cut the bottom off the paper cup leaving about 1 inch of the bottom to create the nose.
Spray paint the cup section and the paper plate brown and allow to dry while you are putting the rest of the balloon together.

1. Inflate one balloon completely. Inflate second balloon but not as much as the fist one. Glue the small balloon onto the top of the large balloon with the knotted side facing up on both.
(Set the balloon into a bowl so it stands up while you are working on it.)

2. Stuff the two brown socks with tissues or fiber fill. Tie them together and wrap around the center of the balloon. Use glue dots or tape in the back and on the sides to hold them into place. Try to distribute the weight evenly so the balloon doesn't topple over.
(You could also use construction paper or twisted brown tissue paper to form the arms.)

3. Tape crepe paper to the party hat. Place it in about a half an inch and while working your way around the hat overlap the paper so it creates a ruffling effect. You will be using tape about every inch or so on the inside. Press crepe paper so it is horizontal to the hat. Use glue or tape loops to attach the hat to the bear.

4. The party cup that you cut should be dry now. Cut 1/2 inch slits about every 1/2 to 1/4 inch around the rim of the cup. Fold these towards the inside of the cup. Glue this to the bear in the center of the head balloon. (Test the fit and adjust it before applying the glue.)

5. Draw the mouth onto the balloon. Its just a small curve to the left and a small curve to the right from the center of the nose.

6. Glue wiggle eyes above the nose. You could also paint or draw the eyes into place.

7. Make a bow and attach it to the neck of the bear.

8. Set the paper plate face down and glue the bear to it. You can tape coins to the bottom of the plate if the bear is top heavy. Or set the bear body into a shallow bowl or box.

9. For the Happy Birthday sign, I cut that from a paper plate and glued it to his hands.
You could also use a bouquet of flowers, balloons or a gift box to decorate your balloon art bear.