How to Make a Monkey Balloon Animal

By
Wayne Kawamoto
Wayne-Kawamoto-about02.jpg
Wayne Kawamoto

Wayne N. Kawamoto is a full-time professional magician and author who has written about magic tricks and techniques for over 10 years. He is the author of "Picture Yourself As a Magician." Wayne also performs at corporate events and has entertained audiences for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Northrop Grumman, and Target Corporation.

Learn more about The Spruce Crafts' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/16/20
Balloon monkey
Aradan / Getty Images
Project Overview
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $1

Balloon animals are a hit at parties, and they're fairly straightforward to learn to make yourself. This monkey balloon animal is especially suited for handing out at events, such as children's birthday parties, because it includes two balloons: one to form the monkey and the other that serves as a pole, making the creation easy to carry around. If your event has a jungle or tropical theme, this is a perfect balloon animal to have in your arsenal to give away as party favors. You can make this balloon animal in a matter of minutes, wowing your guests as the monkey takes shape before their eyes. But it does require some balloon skills. Specifically, you'll need to have mastered the following: a basic twist, pinch twist, and lock twist.

Balloon Animal Tutorials

What You'll Need

Materials

  • 2 Balloons that are 2 inches wide and 60 inches long (known as 260 balloons)

Instructions

  1. Start the Monkey Balloon Animal

    Inflate one balloon, leaving about 6 inches not inflated at the end. Knot the end. Then, make a basic twist about an inch from the knotted end. This forms the nose of the monkey.

    basic balloon twist
    The Spruce

  2. Form the Head

    Make a small pinch twist about an inch in length just after the monkey nose. This forms one ear of the monkey.

    Next, make a basic twist that's about 1 1/2 inches long to create the monkey's forehead.

    Then, make another pinch twist about an inch in length to match the first one to form the second ear.

    balloon monkey head
    The Spruce 

  3. Finish the Head

    Align the first basic twist (marked "A" in the photo below) with the rest of the remaining balloon (marked "B"). Then, twist the two pinch twists together. To do so, hold and twist the two pinch twists and the basic twist between them as a single unit. This finishes forming the monkey's head.

    twisting balloon monkey
    The Spruce 

  4. Check Out Your Monkey's Head

    This is what the monkey's head should look like.

    balloon monkey head
    The Spruce 

  5. Form the Monkey's Arms

    Now, it's time to create the monkey's body. Make two basic balloon twists below the head that are each about 2 inches long to form the monkey's arms. Create a lock twist to hold the arms together.

    front legs of the monkey
    The Spruce

  6. Finish the Monkey's Body

    Make three more basic balloon twists that are each about 2 inches. The first twist forms the monkey’s body. And the second and third twists form the monkey's legs. The remaining balloon segment creates the tail. Finally, do a lock twist to hold the body and legs together.

    monkey balloon body
    The Spruce 

  7. Finish the Monkey Balloon Animal

    Inflate a second balloon to use as a pole. Slide the monkey onto the pole through its legs and arms, and enjoy your balloon animal.

    Tip

    If you wish, you can inflate a green balloon and twist it to add "leaves" to the top of a brown balloon pole, turning it into a palm tree for your monkey to hold. You also can opt to have your monkey hold a small yellow balloon like a banana. Once you have the monkey shape down, you can get creative with the various details.

    finished monkey balloon animal
    The Spruce

Watch Now: How to Make a Flower