I have wanted to make a crochet hot air balloon for some time, and got an idea of making one using the popular african flower.
I will share with you how I did this. First of all if you’re not familiar with the african flower motif you will have to go somewhere else for a tutorial (there are already several out there, so I don’t care making another one). I suggest Heidi Bears tutorial – she is the master. (The tutorial is for the hexagon, the pentagon is pretty much the same, you just make 5 of everything in stead of 6)
What you need is:
10 hexagons + 16 pentagons
I suggest you to leave that last round and instead join-as-you-go for the last round. I highly recommend Heidi Bears (again!) tutorial on how to join as you go. I recently discovered this technique (I was avoiding it because I thought it would be so hard, but it is not!) and it makes me want to make a lot more african flower products!
Connect them, see chart below.
When you are done, you should have a small square shaped opening. Attach your yarn and make 8 rounds of 40sc (10 sc/each side) Leave it like this but don’t cut your yarn as we will ad a couple of rows to attach the basket later.
For this one I had a balloon inside (not a permanent solution). I will try fill it with polyester filling next time. If you want to fill it with polyester filling you will have to close it (make a bottom exactly the same as bottom of basket – se below) and stitch it to the end of the balloon.
BASKET
Start off making the bottom;
Ch11,
Turn. In 2nd from hook; sc 10 back
*Turn, ch1, sc10 *repeat 9 times
Make an edge around the square. I sc in every sts, ch1 in every corner;
*Sc10, ch1, sc (1st in same as last) x10, ch1* repeat 2 more
Connect yarn to one of the sides;
Ch3, in BL; dc 10x, dc in corner-ch from last round. Turn, ch3 (count as 1st), in BL, dcx10, dc in top of ch3 from last round.
make 5 rows with dc’s
Cut yarn and attach to bottom of one other side
Crochet together the sides; 3sc for each dc. When you reach the top ch44 and sl st to the top of the basket (making a big ch-loop) – repeat this a total of 4 times.
I added a bottom border as well, just a round of sc in the unworked loops;
At the end attach your basket to the balloon it self; *ch2 (around the basket ch-loop), sc10* 4 times. The make one last round with sc only, I did 2sc in every croner st (where the ch-loops are connected)
(If you find the above technique hard you can just use a needle and attach the basket chains to the balloon.)
Have something heavy in the basket (like a stone) to stretch the chains.
Last I made a chain (just ch for as long as you’d like) and attached it to the top of the balloon
Enjoy your hot air balloon!
And please share the love – if you add a picture of your hot air balloon on instagram tag @inarho or #inarho so I can see your result
Wow, I really love it! Great job! I’m thinking about using starch on the crocheted ballon while the ballon is inside to mantain shape when it dries. (I don’t know if I’m saying it right, excuse my bad english)
Thank you for sharing the pattern
Thank you – And – Yes, that might be a GREAT idea, I have never used starch myself, but I will definitely look more into that. Please let me know if you have any success!
wow. I have to try this at once. I don’t know the english word but i have a styropor Ball i Think Will fit inside. You know the White hard things you Can put fabric on or pearls.
Er du norsk? Isoporball? Det er nok helt sikkert mulig, men du må “jobbe rundt den” når du hekler sammen. 🙂 Gi gjerne tilbakemelding om det blir en suksess! 🙂
Nydelig. Takk for at du deler
Tusen takk og bare hyggelig! Skal få oversatt til norsk en gang i fremtiden (men … så mange planer .. ingen lovnader!)
How about using watered down PVA glue it still dries hard but also waterproof.
I LOVE this!! Currently investigating getting some yarn custom dyed to make it as a gift. Do you know roughly how much of each colour you used?
Thanks 🙂
Hello,
Thank you. For the white I used somewhere between 50-100 gram. For the other colors less thank 50 grams (of each color). Good luck!
Tak for god inspiration 🙂 Hvad størrelse hæklenål har du brugt til dine hexagons/pentagons/kurv her i opskriften? Nr. 5 som Heidi Bear også bruger?
Jeg har brukt heklekrok 2.5 mm her
Og hvor stor bliver ballonen i ca. mål? 🙂
I love it!!! can I ask you how big is the air balloon? I have a 20 cm polystyrene ball
So adorable! What size hook did you use? And what is the yarn weight as well?