Stick a Needle Through a Balloon Without Popping It
We've all heard the saying, "Pop goes the weasel", but it should really be "Pop goes the needle" when talking about balloons. Needles have been the balloon's arch nemesis since the beginning of time and physics. But what if there was a to avoid all the popping? Actually, there is!
Balloons not only look good, but when someone looks at them, it makes them feel good. Have you ever been able to see a balloon, enjoy it and felt sad when it became flat because all the air seemed to seep out of it? Amaze your friends by sticking a needle through a balloon without popping it!
Contents
Steps
Standard Method
- Get a sewing needle of about 12" in length. You can find these at fabric stores. Make sure the tip end is very sharp and pointy and that the tail end is unadorned and straight. It will probably have an eye (the place where you would put the thread) on the end and that is fine.
- Coat the needle in Vaseline (or any petroleum jelly will do).
- Blow up a regular-sized balloon about 4/5 full. The balloon should be taut but still have some thickness on the side where you put the needle. Tie it normally.
- Make a big production out of it and then simply poke the tip of the needle into the side of the balloon and then through to the opposite side, pulling it out all the way.
- Toss the balloon into the air and then poke it, on its way down, with the sharp tip of the needle again in the side of the balloon. The balloon will pop with a bang.
- While their mouths are still hanging open, discreetly stow the needle or wipe off the Vaseline and provide the needle for examination.
Tape Method
- Place two pieces of tape to opposite sides of the balloon.
- Take the needle and slowly stick the needle through one piece of tape.
- Keep on pushing on the needle until it pokes through the other piece of tape.
- Take the balloon and pop it by poking it with a needle somewhere else, and watch your audience in awe.
- Throw away the pieces to destroy the evidence.
Tips
- Try not to use too much Vaseline. The coat should be applied in advance and a person should not be able to see the Vaseline even from two to three feet away (remember also that they are not looking for it and you should be moving it around in the air anyway).
- When you get good at this, try tying a thin ribbon to the eye of the needle. It is possible to pull a colored thread through the balloon without the balloon noticeably losing air.
- You can also use just one piece of tape to put the needle through for the alternative method.
- The type of balloon is important. Magic stores sell the good kinds but you can get them at a fraction of the cost by hunting around party supply stores. You want balloons that have some extra thickness near the nipple and mouth of the balloon. It is this extra thickness, combined with the Vaseline, that provides the gimmick. Through trial and error, you will find the best kind to match your needle.
Warnings
- Practice many times before doing this in front of an audience. It may turn out the way you did not want it, such as popping the balloon on the first try.
- Be wary of sharp needles and children in close range. You can get pricked in the hand.
- As the balloon can pop when you do this, make sure you wear ear defenders and safety goggles.
Things You'll Need
- Sewing needle of approximately {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. You can find the needle at magic stores and also at fabric places.
- Vaseline. If you do not carry around a jar of Vaseline with you, any petroleum jelly will round the nipple and the mouth.
- Balloons sold as "Helium Balloons" are supposedly thicker and more durable than standard balloons because the molecules of helium gas are smaller than those of air and hence the balloons must be thicker so as to not go flat through diffusion so quickly.
