A few years ago, I had great fun creating some great big clouds to be used at the entrance to The Farm Chicks Show. But before we got them to the show, we had fun with them at home. The boys thought they made cool photo ops.
But how do you make a cloud?
It's actually pretty easy, as long as you have some time and a bit of patience.
To start, cover your work surface with a big sheet. Tape as many blown-up white balloons together as you like, to form your perfect cloud.
Next, mix up a big batch paste of water and flour and whisk until smooth.
Gather up lots of newspaper or newsprint paper and tear into thick shreds (3"-6"). Dip shreds into the paste, removing excess paste as you lift from bowl, and smooth all over the balloons, until they are fully covered.
Allow to dry completely. (This can take up to 24 hours).
Next, cover the clouds with pillow stuffing (polyester fiber). To do so, use a spray adhesive, and spray little sections at a time, and adhere little bunch by bunch of the stuffing. Repeat, again and again, until the cloud is all covered.
And just like that, a cloud is born.
Image from The Farm Chicks Show by Christina G. Photography
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Between posts on my website, I document my life on Instagram. You can follow along with me there, Username: thefarmchicks
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Darling!!! And what a beautiful landscape, and a great place in which to raise kids!
Posted by: Margaret | July 31, 2012 at 09:35 AM
That is awesome! I did my first piñata this year and this looks like so much fun.
I am going to have to find a reason to make a cloud!
Heading to your neck of the woods on Friday...a family wedding at Lake Pend Oreille!
Posted by: stephany | July 31, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Fabulous Idea. But I bet when you say to the boys that they have their heads in the cloud they can't deny it.. nothing like a good photo for proof...Hehehe
Posted by: Tracee | July 31, 2012 at 03:09 PM
I'd love to save this on Pinterest but I don't see a pin-it button & when I copy & paste into the add-on it doesn't recognize your photos. Suggestions?
Posted by: Jen Y | July 31, 2012 at 06:26 PM
This is so cool! I am planning a baby shower and something like this would be so cute hanging from the ceiling. Thanks!
Posted by: Kelly | August 01, 2012 at 06:30 AM
Pinning this to my pinterest boards...never know when a good cloud will come in handy.
Happy day
Posted by: teresa | August 01, 2012 at 08:07 AM
How fun...I thought it was photoshop!
Posted by: tammyCA | August 01, 2012 at 01:44 PM
Very cool!
Posted by: Tracy | August 01, 2012 at 02:10 PM
So interesting and truly cloud like! Do you have a rough measurement on the flour to water parts mix? Thank you for posting!
Posted by: Susan Lugar | August 06, 2012 at 02:48 AM
Hmm - I bet you could take white helium ballons, spray with spray mount and stick them together and then cover with a light coating of the poly.... then the cloud could float!
Posted by: DG | August 16, 2012 at 12:44 PM
Stunning idea!!!!!! thank you :)
Cecilia
Posted by: Cecilia | August 16, 2012 at 01:52 PM
Found this on pinterest, don't know what I will ever use it for...but this is to cool not to pin and pass on! YOU GO GIRL!.
Posted by: Mary Stewart | August 16, 2012 at 04:42 PM
How did you know this is just what I was looking for! So thankful to stumble upon this via pinterest. Will be PERFECT for our "Upon a Dream" fundraiser we're planning. Thanks for the share!
Posted by: Angie | August 16, 2012 at 05:14 PM
What a dreamy addition to a room - may I ask how you went about hanging the clouds?
Posted by: Stephanie | August 17, 2012 at 05:32 AM
Hi Stephanie,
I hung the clouds by taking some really strong fishing line and running 3 lines one way and 3 lines the other way, all across the bottom, then wrapping all of it up and around the top of the cloud. I then took all six of the lines and tied them into a good tight know at the top (tying 5 or 6 times) and then I took another long piece of line, ran it under the knot and hung from the ceiling.
Take care,
Serena :)
Posted by: Serena | August 17, 2012 at 06:16 AM
Wish we had this idea when I worked at SkyBank. Of course, clouds were the logo. It would have been great to hang these on special promotion days.
Posted by: Lynn Bartolotti | August 18, 2012 at 09:51 AM
awesome!
Posted by: nan | August 20, 2012 at 02:21 AM
What an adorable...and creative idea!
Posted by: Tammy Killough | August 20, 2012 at 07:50 AM
It seems like a real hit on Pinterest this tutorial and I am absolutely smitten. Thanks sooo much for sharing. I am sure we'll see your clouds in a lot of places now :).
Yours, Thea // sisterMAG
Posted by: Thea | August 20, 2012 at 12:11 PM
this is such a fun & creative idea! my first time to your blog and already so impressed! xo, t.
Posted by: tiffany of camp1899 | August 22, 2012 at 03:24 PM
I'm obsessed with clouds lately. I totally want to make one. Love it.
Posted by: Vone | August 23, 2012 at 05:59 AM
Such a cute idea! But what happens when the balloons loose their air? Does the newsprint keep its cloudy shape?
Posted by: Christine | August 23, 2012 at 12:13 PM
So creative!
Posted by: VD'O | August 24, 2012 at 10:19 AM
These clouds look amazing! What a fun and creative way to make them! :)
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Posted by: Marie | August 27, 2012 at 02:41 PM
Info is out of this world, I would love to read more.
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Posted by: Francis Beth | September 03, 2012 at 10:55 PM
How do you hang them from the ceiling?
Posted by: elia | September 06, 2012 at 07:08 AM
I wonder if this would be a good way to recycle stuffed animal guts. Although I'm guessing that the fills are too heterogeneous to make this work.
Posted by: Loni | September 13, 2012 at 01:22 PM
I am assuming that is your son? He looks like one of the Jonas brothers LOL. Cute idea. I knew it was cotton batting when I first saw it but I would have never guessed it was glued to paper mache lol.
Posted by: Kellie | September 20, 2012 at 07:49 AM
Saw this on my weekly pinterest email, followed it and found this...wow, what an amazing project to do with kids! I'm pinning this for future.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Debbie :)
Posted by: Debbie | October 04, 2012 at 01:07 PM
I would use monofilament (fishing line,) tied around a few of the balloons' knots during the initial steps, making sure to keep them free throughout the latter stages of the project. The entire cloud creation would be light enough to hang using simple eye hooks screwed into the ceiling, or it could be hung from an existing light fixture.
Posted by: Kandis Milonoff | October 08, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Cool idea! I wonder if it'd be possible to make them flying clouds by adding helium and calculating the right weight of material so they don't fly away :).
Posted by: Miki | October 09, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Well, that will only work if you want the cloud to last just a day. Balloons lose their helium quickly... Good luck! :) Serena
Posted by: Serena | October 09, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Love this. Now just need to figure out why I need to make some clouds.
Posted by: Wendy | October 15, 2012 at 11:56 AM
Wonderful!
Posted by: Monika | October 16, 2012 at 09:54 AM
I wouldn't think it would work at all. I just made two of these and I think they would be too heavy for the helium to hold up. You would also need to use mylar balloons -- the time just paper/glue step takes to dry is the life span of a helium balloon.
Posted by: tracy | October 16, 2012 at 11:53 AM
They way I did it was to get a super thin dowel from the craft store and tie/tape the balloons to it to make the cloud shape. Tie the fishing line to the dowel on each end. You can then use the fishing line that is attached to tie up the balloons while doing the paper mache.
Other suggestions: use 10 inch balloons if you want a bedroom size cloud, use grey balloons to both know how much you have left to paper mache. Use black and white newspaper instead of plain white newspaper to give the clouds some depth.
I loved this project! Thank you so much for explaining how to do it. I'd be happy to send pictures if you let me know you are interested.
Posted by: tracy | October 16, 2012 at 11:59 AM
That is so awesome!! <3 I want to have vaulted ceilings now so I could hang them. Hehe. How fantastic would that be!? :D
Posted by: Candice | October 16, 2012 at 05:17 PM
Thanks for sharing, Tracy. I'd love to see pictures! Serena
Posted by: Serena | October 17, 2012 at 05:29 AM
Yes, the shape stays in place because of the paper mâché. That's the purpose of it. Once it's dry, it becomes hard.
Posted by: Serena | October 17, 2012 at 05:31 AM
Thank you :) I have a little cloud crush. Always have :)
Posted by: Serena | October 17, 2012 at 05:33 AM
See my directions on hanging in earlier comments...
Posted by: Serena | October 17, 2012 at 05:35 AM
She'd have to skip the paper mâché and glue straight to balloons. But again, seems like a lot of work for just one day. :)
And the balloons may pop...
Posted by: Serena | October 17, 2012 at 05:38 AM
Question... how heavy are they? My daughter wants to be a cloud for Halloween and I want something that has a real shape.... Do you think there is any way to mock this up for a small version for a costume?
Posted by: Leslie | October 26, 2012 at 08:56 AM
such a wonderfull blog.I made artificial clouds for my college stage decoration.Thanks for building this great blog
Posted by: maria stein | October 29, 2012 at 11:10 PM
THOSE KIND OF CLOUDS ARE SOOOO COOL LOOKING.
NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS WOULD I HAVE EVER THINK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HOW COOL IS THAT?
Posted by: CANDACE E.LUFFMAN | November 08, 2012 at 05:52 AM
Very cool! I followed a trail from Twitter to Pinterest to here to find you. :) I'm thinking this project would be a fun decoration for Vacation Bible School. I will be passing your link on!
~Sheila :)
Posted by: Sheila Edeliant | November 09, 2012 at 07:57 AM
Adorei bem criativo,vou tentar fazer
Posted by: Ines | November 15, 2012 at 03:36 PM
hello, lovely idea i am wondering... if the baloon pops will the shape still hold? can i use paper mache and glue instead of water/flour?
Posted by: jawa | December 09, 2012 at 08:51 AM
Yes, shape holds. That's why I paper mached. You can use any paper mâché paste you prefer.
Posted by: Serena | December 09, 2012 at 11:04 AM
It's so important topics for general people. I like your informative post.
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Posted by: online to-do list | December 13, 2012 at 04:39 AM
Beautiful,I love these! I am going to post a link on facebook! Its a have to share!
Posted by: Bakeca Piacenza | December 14, 2012 at 05:57 AM
Love,Love,Love this! So clever!
Posted by: Marcy | January 12, 2013 at 07:24 AM
This is so cool! What brand of polyester pillow stuffing did you use??
Posted by: Jess | January 14, 2013 at 10:26 AM
Cool! :)))
Posted by: J | January 14, 2013 at 11:47 AM
No need to buy specific or expensive stuffing.. I'm making these, and I'm using old pillows. And then just replacing my pillows. Its a lot cheaper. OR Walmart sells cheap pillows @ $2.50? And you get a lot more fluff for a fraction of the price as the 'packaged pillow stuffing'
Posted by: [email protected] | January 15, 2013 at 09:55 AM
I love this!!! What did you use to hang the clouds to the ceiling? I need it for my party on Sunday :)
Posted by: Tierra Bryant | January 16, 2013 at 06:56 AM
Nice! I'm done making one and my grand ma really loved it.
My fake clouds. It's killing it!
http://www.freightbrokerbootcamp.com/
Posted by: Carl Mann | February 06, 2013 at 11:27 PM
How cool these clouds are, for me they provide an instant happy feeling! Thank you for sharing, I'll spread the word too in my blog www.wasgebeurt.blogspot.nl
Kind regards from the Netherlands, Annemarijn
Posted by: Annemarijn | February 16, 2013 at 01:59 PM
This is such a cute idea, and it looks like something even I could do :D
Posted by: Amanda | February 16, 2013 at 10:50 PM
How fun are those clouds!!! Thanks for the tutorial.
Posted by: Sarah | February 24, 2013 at 05:02 PM
Hahaha no wayyy! this is soooo fun!! Loved the first two photos too, looked SO real!!!!
Posted by: Nisha | March 11, 2013 at 01:35 AM
Way too wonderful! A great project to do with students in classes for kids with cognitive disabilities. (outside, of course, so they don't breathe the fumes from the aerosol) K.
Posted by: Karen | March 14, 2013 at 02:19 PM
Perfect!
Posted by: Kariny | March 29, 2013 at 04:32 AM
Make sure to wear a proper respiratory mask to protect your lungs with the spray adhesive. I certainly would not spray around children as when it's in the lungs it destroys your lungs elasticity and takes a while till they feel "unclogged". Very toxic stuff!
Posted by: Theresa Rosado | April 02, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Keep balloons for an extended time by storing in a tied garbage bag. Use white or clear bags & light weight spray adhesive on outside of garbage bag, attach the stuffing to garbage bag. Use regular helium instead of Mylar balloon$. Spray adhesive inside bag to contour. Seal bag. Tie to golf tees in grnd? A picnic table? Two trees wider than cloud?
Posted by: bw | April 07, 2013 at 07:46 PM
Totally going to make one of these 4 my daughter for her Rainbow Dash birthday party. Thanks for the uber cool idea and how to.
Posted by: Carrie | April 09, 2013 at 01:44 PM
awesome! it can be a nice photo props too!
Posted by: monkeycocoa | April 19, 2013 at 10:51 AM
I skiped the paste and paper steps and everything went perfectly fine.
Spraying the adhesive straight over uncoated balloons proved to be secure (I was afraid that they could pop because of some chemical reaction, but in the end I could use the spray to glue the balloons together) and much more practical.
I just don't know if all the paper help to maintain the cloud shape when the balloons pop or wilt, but since I was to use the cloud in the next day I didn't worry at all.
Posted by: Victor Tenorio | April 19, 2013 at 06:33 PM
what is the paste made out of?:)
Posted by: danielle | May 12, 2013 at 06:30 PM
Thank is really cool! Thanks for sharing. I really think its a great idea, I am going to try making some awesome pins using these techniques
Posted by: Sean Carter | May 13, 2013 at 11:53 AM
yes, when the air comes out of the balloons, you have nothing to hold the shape..the paper mache makes a permanent form, the balloons are just the guideline till it is done.
Posted by: M~ | May 23, 2013 at 05:54 AM
This idea is wonderful. I am going to make it. Do you have any more such ideas, pls do let us know.
Posted by: Rashmi Lulla | May 26, 2013 at 12:22 AM
omg! i have no use whatsoever for a cloud, but I want to make one!
Posted by: melle | May 29, 2013 at 05:29 AM
how did you get the clouds to hang up? I'm afraid mine is goign to be too heavy to suspend from the ceiling D:
Posted by: annie | June 05, 2013 at 10:32 PM
For paste instead of the flour/ water mixture, I use liquid laundry starch, add a little water if it gets too thick. I like it cause you can just pour what you don't use back in the jug it came in. Flour and water paste can be messy. I am messy enough.......
Posted by: shelly moore | June 18, 2013 at 12:48 PM
when you let it dry, did it stick to whatever you had underneath it?
Posted by: Faith | June 18, 2013 at 02:11 PM
Que coisa linda e legal!Parabéns,abraços,chica
Posted by: chica | July 05, 2013 at 03:01 AM
Nice idea but maybe you could find a more environmentally friendly option. Polyester pillow stuffing and rubber balloons are not exactly biodegradable. Cotton might be a better choice than polyester.
Posted by: Sarah | July 09, 2013 at 08:33 AM
gracias, brindar esa clase de enseñanzas hace que los niños disfruten. es hermosa la presentaciòn. mi hijo disfrutarà mucho estos adornos.
Posted by: liliana bravo mo | July 15, 2013 at 09:46 AM
I am going to try wrapping old coat hangers as supports around the balloons before I papier mache. Any other ideas?
Posted by: Suzie Martin | July 21, 2013 at 04:50 PM
omg I'm going to make these for my daughters umbrella ducky baby shower. its gonna be a hit. So glad I found this tutorial. WOW
Posted by: [email protected] | September 23, 2013 at 07:20 AM
Awesome idea!!
Posted by: [email protected] | September 17, 2014 at 09:55 AM
Thanks for your tutorial! I did it for my daughters bday party & the final result was amazing!! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/58898707602241872/
Posted by: jackie | October 22, 2014 at 08:26 AM
I bet you could make it float by using helium balloons.
...Maybe?!?
Posted by: Lexie | November 04, 2014 at 08:12 PM
How could you hang them??
Posted by: Tippy | November 14, 2014 at 05:08 PM
What an amazing Idea, I might try this for my birthday next year, maybe in my bedroom. How clever!
Posted by: Rene'e | November 14, 2014 at 06:44 PM
i want to say thank you for sharing this. It's easy to do and result is awesome! I made one small cloud with 3 standard size balloons and it's so cute! My 7yo will be using it as her prop in a school performance next month.. She is supposed to hold up a cloud and i wonder what her teacher will say when she sees this cloud! Really awesome idea thank you!
Posted by: Pat | July 15, 2015 at 02:19 AM
This is wonderful. Having a hot air balloon party for my granddaughters first birthday. Didn't know how I was going to hang balloons. Now, they will hang from the clouds as they should. Thank you soooo much !!!!!!!
Posted by: Yea McDeott | October 06, 2015 at 07:40 AM
how do you hang them?
Posted by: Ace | May 30, 2017 at 09:07 PM
How much pillow stuffing will I need? Will 1 package do? Making this as a Halloween costume for my 5-year-old daughter, Lucy, so she can be "Lucy in the sky with diamonds"!
Posted by: Amy | September 28, 2017 at 09:52 AM