Unleash your creativity by making your own decoration using science and art. With just a few materials and tools, you can create your own Christmas inflatable. An inflatable is usually a silly character that wobbles around with air and is typically used outside of large stores to attract customers.
We chose to make a snowman at Esplora! Why gassy you ask? No, it’s not what you think. These inflatables are filled with air and air is a gas, so yeah, it’s not that kind of gassy snowman 😉
You can be as creative as you want as you’re designing and making your inflatable. Once done, use a hair dryer or a small fan to give life to your inflatable. Check out all you need to know below.
Step 1
Analyse your materials and see what you can do with them. Look for larger materials which can be used as the inflatable’s body and smaller ones for the arms (if any). Start by laying the material on a flat surface and draw the outline of your inflatable with a marker. You can use separate plastic bags for different parts of the body. In our case, we used a bag for the body, a bag for the head, and a smaller bag for both arms.
Step 2
Cut along the markings where you will be connecting the multiple bags. Remember that you need to create or use a pre-existing opening at the bottom of the inflatable for your hairdryer/fan to fit through.
Step 3
Prepare the base opening for the inflatable using thick paper. This will hold the inflatable stable on the hair dryer when the air is flowing in it. Insert one end of it in the inflatable and secure it with tape. The other end should go in the hair dryer. We suggest that you remove the nozzle off the hair dryer.
If you are using a small fan, the cardboard should have a similar diameter to that of the fan. Punch holes in the cardboard and use paper clips to secure it to the fan through the holes you have just punched. Make sure you do this step with the fan switched off and get an adult to help.
Step 4
Once you assemble your inflatable, make sure you seal all the connecting edges with tape (except the base opening of course).
Step 4
Decorate your inflatable with any decorations you like. Be creative and add your own artistic touch.
Step 5
The final stage of this project is the most important. Attach the base opening with the hair dryer and secure it with tape to ensure your inflatable stays in place. Once done, switch on the hair dryer on low and make sure that it’s set on cold.
Try and manipulate the way your inflatable moves by adding some holes at the top or at the sides or perhaps even on the arms. How does your inflatable move around? And does it change its movement if you add more holes?
If you want to take this challenge further, how about making a fabric inflatable? To do so, pick lighter fabrics over thicker ones. You can still use tape but make sure its strong enough to stick to fabric. Otherwise, test your sewing skills with a needle and tread 😉
Tape is much better than glue when connecting or closing seams. Tape is more flexible as you can remove it and change whatever you need to change.
Try not to overdo it with too many decoration pieces. The more bits and pieces you add, the heavier your inflatable will be and the more difficult it will be to get it to move.
Show us what you’ve made! Take a photo of at least 4 of your favourite activities from Esplora’s Science Advent Calendar. Trust us, you’ll need them
Share your creation with us on social media by tagging us @esploramalta #esploramalta #getcuriousgetinspired
