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Have you ever wanted to make your own hot air balloon and watch it gracefully float away into the night sky? It's easier and cheaper than you might think! This article will show you how to make a mini hot air balloon that really flies using a plastic bag, some straws, and a few birthday candles.

Part 1
Part 1 of 4:

Getting Started

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  1. The best bag for this is a thin, cheap, trashcan liner. It should be translucent or clear. Do not use a regular trash bag; it will be too heavy. You can also use a dry cleaning bag instead. If you do, make sure that it is the short kind used for shirts; be sure to tape the hole at the top of the bag.
    • Do not use plastic grocery bags. They are too small and too heavy. [1]
  2. Place the opening of the bag in front of a small fan. Make sure that there are no gaps. Turn the fan on. The bag should fill up like a balloon. If it does not fill up, it may have some holes. Find these holes and cover them with a piece of scotch tape. [2]
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  3. Make sure that there is no wind; even the slightest breeze will keep the balloon from flying. The best time to fly would be at dawn or dusk as the weather is the most still. [3]
    • Cold, winter days with high pressure are the best for flying.
  4. You can also fly your balloon inside. Make sure that there is a lot of space, and that there are no curtains or carpets inside. If the balloon lands close to one of those, you could start a fire. A great place to fly is in a garage or a school gym.
  5. You will be working with fire, so you want to be safe. If you are a child, make sure that you have an adult with you at all times.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:

Making the Basket

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  1. This will be your basket. The edges will be sharp, so be careful.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Each dot should be 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) away from each corner. You will be placing your candles on these dots.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    This will make the balloon lighter and easier to fly.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    You may have noticed that two of the candle pieces still have the wick sticking out, and two do not. Using your fingernail, crumble the tip of those two candles until you have some wick showing. You want to end up with four mini birthday candles.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Use a lighter to melt the bottom of a candle. Let some of the wax drip onto the dot. Once you have a small pool of wax, stick the candle down onto it. Hold the candle still until the wax hardens. Do this for the other three candles.
    • If you are a child, ask an adult to help you with this step.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Be careful not to bump the candles while you are doing this. They will pop off easily. This will help catch any melted or dripping wax from the candles. [4]
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Part 3
Part 3 of 4:

Making the Frame

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  1. Lay a ruler across the opening of the bag. Write down the length. This will be how long you will be making the sticks for the frame.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    To connect two straws together, cut a small slit into the bottom of a straw. Side the cut part into another straw. Wrap a piece of tape around the joint. Keep doing this until the stick is the same width as the bag.
    • If you are using bendable straws, cut the bendy part off. [5]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Find the middle of one stick. Place the other stick on top of it.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Do not use too much tape, or the frame will be too heavy. The best tape to use is clear scotch tape. Masking tape will be too heavy.
  5. Purchase some thin balsa wood sticks from an arts and crafts store. They look like squares or rectangles when you look down at them from the top. Cut the sticks down to the right length. Put a drop of wood glue in the middle of one stick. Place the other stick on top of it, making a cross or X shape. Wait for the glue to dry.
    • Try to get the thinnest stick possible. It will be the lightest and easiest to fly.
    • Do not buy dowels; those are not balsa wood and will be too heavy.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 4:

Putting it Together and Flying it

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    If you look down on the frame and tray, the candles should be between the straws. This is very important. If the candles are over the straws, the heat will burn and melt the straws. It will also distribute the weight the wrong way.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Take a piece of tape and put it under one of the arms of the X. Press the tape against the bottom of the tray. Do this for the other three arms and sides of the tray.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Tape one corner of the bag to one of the ends of the frame. Tape the opposite corner of the bag to the other end of the frame. Do this for the other two sides. You are making a square-shaped hole.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    You can also tie the string to a table, chair, or fence. This is very important. If you do not do this, the balloon may fly out of reach and get caught. Choose a thin, light string, such as thread.
  5. Try to keep the bag as loose as possible, It might be easier to do this step and the next step with a friend.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    Be careful so that you do not knock or push any of the candles over or burn the bag. A long, stick lighter might work best for this step. If you are a child, ask an adult to light the candles for you.
  7. This will take about a minute or so. [6]
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Mini Flyable Hot Air Balloon with Candles
    It will not fly at first, but after a few more moments, it will start to rise on its own. Be sure to keep holding onto the string, or attach the string to something. The balloon will float for as long as the candles are lit.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I use a small brown paper bag?
    Community Answer
    I wouldn't recommend a brown paper bag. The flame may not be far enough from the bag to burn safely.
  • Question
    How would I bring it back down again?
    Community Answer
    You could attach a string to the balloon so that you could pull it down. You could also just wait for the candles to burn out; the balloon will eventually come down on its own.
  • Question
    Is it possible to attach the bag at a distance from the foil base, using string or more balsa wood sticks, to make the candles easier to light? Or does the bag have to be totally covering the candles for it to work?
    Community Answer
    You would lose the heat from the candles. It would not fly. The idea is to trap hot air, which will lift the balloon.
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      Tips

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • If you have an old foil birthday balloon, try cutting off the bottom and using that instead of a bag. Some of them are very thin and may work well.
      • If your plastic bag is melting, use 2 or 3 candles instead of 4. Or, use a larger plastic bag that has more volume for the heat to be dispersed in.
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      Warnings

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      Things You'll Need

      • Thin plastic bag
      • Aluminum foil
      • Birthday candles
      • Straws, or something similar
      • Tape
      • Thread
      • Lighter/match(s)
      • Scissors
      • Ruler

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to make a mini flyable hot air balloon with candles, cut a 4 inch square from a sheet of aluminum foil and draw a dot about 1 inch inside each corner. Cut 2 birthday candles in half and peel the cut pieces so the wick is revealed, then melt the bottom of each candle and stick them to the dots on the foil. Fold up the edges of the foil to make a basket. Make a frame out of straws, then tape the candle tray to the frame. Next, tape the opening of a thin plastic bag to the frame. When you light the candles, the bag will fill up with hot air and the balloon should fly. For tips on how to make sure your plastic bag will fly well, keep reading!

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