Make Your Own Stress Balls for Christmas

Here’s a cheap and easy gift or party favor for the holidays. It can also be a (slightly messy) fun craft to do with children. My granddaughter, almost four, patiently helped me fill about 30 balloons last night after her two-minute “performance” with her French preschool class. She never sang, nor danced, nor even flinched. Just stood there looking mildly amused while her teacher “led” the one or two kids who sang and did the actions. Most of them, like Jasmine, stood in silence while cameras flashed frantically in the hands of parents and grandparents.

Here’s how to do it.

SUPPLIES:

helium quality 9-inch balloons

corn meal

corn starch

small funnel

shishkebab stick (or other “poking” device)

scissors (for cutting off top and excess neck of balloon)

Mix 1/4 cup cornstarch into every cup of cornmeal. Inflate each balloon before using it, to loosen it up. Release air and insert the funnel into the neck of the balloon. Spoon about 1/4 cup of cornmeal/cornstarch mixture into bowl of funnel. Gently shake or tap to get cornmeal into balloon. Use the kebab stick to poke it into the funnel neck if it stops flowing. Remove the funnel when the round body of the balloon is filled. Dump any excess out of the neck of the balloon. Tie the neck in a knot close to the body of the balloon. Cut off the lip and excess neck of the balloon.

I handed out free stressballs and hugs earlier today after talking to single moms about how to handle holiday stress at Center Street Church in Calgary. But I had to save a few for myself so I can make it through the holidays without hurting anybody! Squeezy…..squeezy…..aaahhhhhhhh. Merry Christmas!