Hermit Crab by Alberto Nava

Ingredients

1 Robin’s Egg Blue Big Polka Dots 11” Round
2 Friendly Eyeball 5” Round
1 Red 350Q
1 Red 260Q
1 Robin’s Egg Blue 260Q
1 Robin’s Egg Blue 160Q
1 Red 160Q

The Artist

Alberto Nava, CBA
Crazyballoons
Milan, Italy

STEP 1
Inflate a Red 350Q, leaving 4” uninflated and tie. Make a 5” bubble, a 1” pinch twist and a 5” bubble. Make a 1” pinch twist and lock the knot into the pinch twist.

STEP 2
Make a 5” bubble and wrap back into the opposite pinch twist. Make a 3” bubble and a 1” pinch twist. Shape the remaining balloon for the claw.

STEP 3
Inflate a Red 260Q, leaving 5” uninflated and tie. Make a 1” pinch twist, a 3” bubble, a 5” bubble, and wrap into the first pinch twist. Then make another 1” pinch twist.

STEP 4
Make a 3” bubble, and then wrap the 260Q around the 350Q pinch twist opposite the existing claw.

STEP 5
Wrap the 260Q to the opposite side, squeezing the balloon to soften and shape. Then, wrap the 260Q around the 350Q pinch twist. Make a 3” bubble, attach to the joint on the claw, and then shape the remaining balloon.

STEP 6
Insert the uninflated Robin’s Egg Blue 160Q inside the uninflated Robin’s Egg Blue 260Q and tie them together at the tip. TIP: Make sure BOTH balloons are tied together.

STEP 7
Insert the uninflated balloon from Step 6 into the 11” “Big Polka Dot”  Robin’s Egg Blue balloon.

STEP 8
Inflate the 11” balloon to about 8”. DO NOT TIE. Careful not to release air from the round balloon, insert the pump into the 260Q nozzle.

STEP 9
Holding the balloon up to a light, fully inflate the 260Q while tightly holding the 160Q. NOTE: The tighter you hold the 160Q, the tighter the spiral will be. Tie the 160Q and 260Q together, and then push them inside the 11” Robin’s Egg balloon. Deflate while positioning the 260Q and tie.

STEP 10
Inflate two 5” Friendly Eyeball balloons to 2” and tie. Squeeze the air to the end of the balloon to enlarge the eyeball print. Tie the eyes together. Tie the knot on the shell to the eyes through the Red 350Q bubbles.

STEP 11
Inflate a Robin’s Egg Blue 350Q, leaving a 4” tail and tie. Make two 2” pinch twists, then squeeze and wrap the balloon around the joint between the Crab and shell. Wrap the balloon back into the pinch twists. Break, tie, and discard the remainder.

STEP 12
Inflate a 2” bubble in a Red 160Q, and tie. Tie another knot 4 ½” from the end of the bubble. Remove the excess balloon and the neck. Split the bubble in two and push the air to the opposite end to make two antennae.

STEP 13
Wrap the antennae under the eyes and pull up between the top of the eyes. Add artwork.