Ribbons, ribbons everywhere...

What can you do with all the leftover holiday ribbons? Make a grand mess craft, of course! Set yourself up with some glue paste (50/50 glue and water), a balloon and the excess ribbon and make yourself a decorative bowl!
Materials:
Craft glue
Ribbons
Balloon

1. Blow up the balloon to the size you wish the bowl to be. I chose a smallish size, since I was not sure how it would work out or how we would like it.
2. Now the fun begins! Dip the ribbon in the glue mixture to coat the ribbon with glue.
3. Pull the ribbon back out of the mess glue mixture, running it through your fingers to remove the excess glue.
4. Tricky part. Put the ribbon on the balloon. I know, it doesn't *sound* hard. I went into this with a sense of 'this is easy' that was quickly dispelled as the project progressed. It is not *hard* per se, it just requires more planning that *I* had originally allotted, resulting in a big mess learning opportunity for all involved! There are some TIPS, which I have placed at the end of the post so I do not break up the action of the "How To" post by random rambling.
5. Layer, layer, layer! Cover the balloon in many layers of ribbon, covering all empty spaces.
6. Let dry for 24 hours.
7. Pop the balloon and admire your artwork!



TIPS:
1. Put the balloon firmly in a bowl to hold it still. As the ribbon is applied to the balloon, the weight changes. If the bowl is not heavy (disposable bowls are most definitely not!) the balloon tips over and makes the mess crafting space even bigger! To weight the bowl, I threw in some pennies in the bottom of the container and stuck the balloon in there but good.
2. Use a dark color balloon to make it easy to see where more ribbon needs placed. I used a white one initially and, well, we had to go back in and repair spots.
3. The bottom of a balloon is round. The bottom of your bowl will be round. It does not stay put well. I recommend placing heavy objects in the bottom to make it stay put.
4. DO NOT USE velvety ribbon or ribbon with a vinyl backing. It does *not* adhere well, says someone who tried. What a mess learning adventure that was.