Hot air balloons make me feel a warm sense of nostalgia. Not only because they’re a slow means of travel from a bygone era, but because of a very sweet memory that I will share with you before listing a plethora of hot air balloon craft ideas.
When I was 15, I had a huge crush on a boy from my school. I had asked him out, but he said no, so we were friends instead. One day, our school decided that the best course of action to get the resident problem students on the straight and narrow was to give them a hot air balloon ride (it remained tethered to the ground the whole time and only went up ten to fifteen meters off the ground). Whilst this was going on, it was also decided that the rest of the entire school should be required to observe their little adventure.
I was very envious, and lamented to my group of friends that I wanted to ride in the hot air balloon, to which the boy I liked, who was a good kid and never got into trouble at school, said he’d steal one for me! I found it a surprising and heart-warming declaration and probably spent the rest of the day with an irrepressible smile on my face!
That lovely boy and I just celebrated our 22nd anniversary three weeks ago and now have an amazing 8-year-old daughter as well! So yes, I love hot air balloons!
3D Hot Air Balloon Valentine Card
Image from craftymorning.com
Of course we had to start with the lovey-dovey hot air balloon crafts! This card is oh so cute and doesn’t require many supplies to make but definitely will be delightful to give to that special someone!
Doily Hot Air Balloon
Image from iheartartsncrafts.com
Another lovey-dovey sort of craft, this one is a great use for those pretty paper doilies that I personally seem to always see in op-shops or thrift shops for those of you in the U.S.
Hot Air Balloon Printable
Image from thiscraftyfamily.com
This is just a nice printable template of a hot air balloon that’s a great launch pad into a variety of different craft activities. You could paint, draw, glue things onto them like pom-poms, dried pasta, or buttons, whatever you can come up with!
Dr Seuss Paper Quilled Hot Air Balloon Craft
Image from artsycraftsymom.com
This is a super pretty craft that would serve as a great introduction do paper quilling! You can cut your own strips here, and if you don’t have a paper quilling tool you could just use a pair of tweezers. For little hands not used to the technique you could tape a pair of chopsticks together to make your own quilling tool, though of course your spirals would be larger.
Dr Seuss Hot Air Balloon Craft
Image from easy-crafts-for-kids.com
Yeah, I’m clumping the Dr Seuss crafts together; I hope you’re a fan of ‘Oh The Places You’ll Go!’ This one is similar to some of the other crafts in this list, but I really liked the addition of the stripes on the balloon.
Dr Seuss Papier Mâché Hot Air Balloon
Image from buggieandjellybean.blogspot.com
These 3D balloon halves could be put to so many great applications, and I really love how the creator has given them that characteristic Dr Seuss illustration flare!
Washi Tape Hot Air Balloon Craft
Image from iheartcraftythings.com
My daughter loves washi tape, but it often ends up sitting around for ages not really being used. So, I’m always on the look out for craft activities that can make good use of her pretty tapes! This is a great little craft that I can see small children really loving!
DIY 3D Hot Air Balloon Paper Craft
Image from createplaytravel.com
Another craft box staple are the little self-adhesive backed foam shapes. If not used appropriately, they will end up stuck to your carpet, and they can be super annoying to remove! I like to prevent this happening by giving my daughter activities to use them and this little paper folding craft would be great for using up a good number of them!
Cupcake Liner Hot Air Balloon Kids Craft
Image from iheartcraftythings.com
Cupcake liners are often cute, and often come in packs of a huge quantity, so you end up using the same pack for what feels like a couple of years! Maybe that’s just me? Either way, it means they’re often about somewhere in the kitchen so they’re a great addition to kids craft-time fun and super cute in this hot air balloon craft!
Tissue Paper Hot Air Balloon Craft
Image from kidsactivitiesblog.com
I love the three-dimensionality of this craft! Papier mâché with tissue paper is so simple and yet so pretty! I also love that instead of traditional papier mâché glue you’re using PVA or school glue, which will make your balloon a little sturdier. I can’t wait to try this one as well! If doing this craft with little crafters I would consider gluing the straws into the cups ahead of time rather than getting out the hot glue gun.
Hot Air Balloon Suncatcher Craft
Image from createplaytravel.com
This craft is so cute and pretty, and uses much the same materials as the last craft! The good thing about this one is that it can be completed in the one sitting, so you don’t need to do day-before prep work for it.
Bubble Wrap Hot Air Balloon Craft
Image from iheartcraftythings.com
I always seem to have bubble wrap about; it’s the result of doing all my holiday shopping online for the last two years! This craft is a cute way to put some of it to use! As someone with trypophobia, it just scooches in as acceptable though, but I just love the little paper bag and being able to put things in there! Cute!
How To Make Paper Air Balloon
Image from kidsartncraft.com
This is your classic hot air balloon! Quintessential hot air balloon look, so even though it’s a similar technique to other entries on this list, it has to be here! I like the textured cardboard used for the basket on this one, too.
DIY Hot Air Balloon Decor
Image from ohmy-creative.com
The effect of this hot air balloon craft, which is better suited to older children and adults, is so pretty! It’s a little more complex than many of the other crafts on this list, but it’s still accessible. I didn’t realize how achievable this sort of effect actually was! I also love that this is a great way to use up leftover wrapping paper! Though only the fancy double-sided wrapping paper.
Mobile #001 Balloon
Image from papermatrix.files.wordpress.com
Oooh, fancy paper weaving! This is another craft for older crafters as it’s quite precise and delicate. I cannot wait to give these a go! I’ve never done paper weaving in 3D before and I just love how these look! There’s a YouTube video of the creator making them which made the whole thing make way more sense.
Up Up and Away! Mobile Tutorial and Pattern
Image from craftinessisnotoptional.com
How cute is this mobile! Of course, you don’t have to hang these as a mobile, you can make just one if you like, or make a bunch and use them as Christmas decorations! So many possible uses for these super cute little balloons! Ugh, adorable! If you do want to use them as a mobile, you can buy the hardware to hang it if you don’t have wood-working tools available to you.
So there you have it, enough crafts to satisfy even the staunchest fans of hot air balloons, or one little woman who was promised one a long time ago by a very special man!
