You can use standard lights that you plug into a wall, but keep in mind that they tend to contain more bulbs, so you’ll have to make more twine balls. If you want a large garland with giant twine balls, consider plug-in icicle lights instead. You can stuff each icicle into each giant twine ball.
You don’t have to blow regular balloons up to their full size. Keep in mind that they will end up more oval or egg-shaped. You should still blow water balloons up with air; don’t use water. Match the size of the balloon to the bulb. Small balloons will work better for tiny fairy lights than standard-sized balloons. If you are using icicle lights, you will need 1 balloon for each icicle.
Cover the entire balloon with petroleum jelly, except for the knotted part at the bottom.
This project can get messy, so pick an area that can get dirty or is easy to clean. For example, a linoleum floor will be easier to clean than carpet. Cover the floor under the dowel with newspaper or plastic sheeting. This will make cleaning up easier.
If you don’t have cornstarch, try arrowroot powder instead. It might be a good idea to make small batches of the mixture at a time so that it doesn’t dry out too fast.
Change the direction you wrap the twine in often. Wrap it horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. How much you wrap is up to you; you still want to see bits of balloon through the wrapped twine.
Do not dip this twine in the glue. You don’t have to use twine for this. You can use any spare bit of string.
Leave enough space between each balloon so that the strings and balloons don’t touch.
You don’t have to saturate the balls with paint. For example, if you used jute twine, you can lightly mist it with gold paint. How long it takes for the paint to dry will depend on the brand of paint you are using as well as the humidity. Expect to wait around 30 minutes.
Work 1 ball at a time. Don’t start on the next ball until the first ball is hanging from the dowel. You can reuse your glue mixture from before. You can also use decoupage glue instead. Use a glitter color that looks nice with the balls. For example, white, iridescent glitter would look great over white balls.
For fairy lights, slide the balls onto the strand, then position each ball over each light. For icicle lights, insert each icicle into each ball, then tie the balls to the main wire with clear thread. This works best for large balls made from standard-sized balloons. Alternatively, attach the balloons to every other light. This is a great option if your twine balls are too wide for the space between the lights.
This step is optional. You don’t have to do it. This works best for standard lights. If you want to, you can wrap delicate fairy lights around the entire garland (except for the balls) for a more magical effect.
If you are using thumb tacks, make sure that you push the pin between the wires–don’t push the pin through the wires. If you are using battery-operated lights, be sure to hide the battery pack behind something.
