Make your own stress ball: idea for leftover balloons

Making a stress ball yourself is not difficult. The DIY instructions are also a good idea for recycling old balloons. We’ll show you how it’s done.

Stress balls, also known as anti-stress balls, anger balls or putty balls, can help with frustration and relieve stress. Especially in situations where you are tense inside but have to sit still, such a ball can help you. But kneading is fun even without any stress, because the balls are soft and elastic and feel good in the hand. The homemade stress ball is also a great way for children to learn to control their energy and to be able to sit still for longer.

Make your own stress ball: you need it

To make a stress ball yourself you only need a few materials:

• old balloons (two per ball)
• flour
• funnel or plastic bottle
• duct tape
• scissors

Flour or starch is best for filling the balls. It is best to check whether there are any old, expired supplies hiding in your closet. Alternatively, very fine sand also works. However, flour makes the balls softer and lighter. You can also use toothpaste as a filling – this makes the balls particularly elastic. However, in order not to waste a whole tube of toothpaste, you should only choose this variant if you have old expired toothpaste left over anyway.

Notice: We generally do not recommend buying balloons, because as a plastic product they are not biodegradable. In addition, they are usually based on oil and are correspondingly energy-intensive to produce. Now there is too biodegradable balloons. However, you can also use many other sustainable decoration options for the birthday party. If you have any balloons left, you can use them for the stress balls.

Make your own stress ball: step-by-step instructions

With the following instructions you can make your own stress ball yourself:

1. Get all materials ready. If you don’t have a funnel, you can convert a clean, dry plastic bottle into a funnel: cut off the neck of the bottle about two inches below the opening. You can keep the homemade funnel and continue to use it as a funnel.
2. Blow up the balloon once to make it stretchier and easier to fill.
3. Put the balloon over the funnel or the opening of the cut-off bottle and fill in the flour. Here you have to press a little until the balloon is filled to the brim.
4. Cut off the opening of the balloon, leaving about an inch protruding. Glue the protruding opening to the balloon with a strip of adhesive tape.
5. Cut off the neck of the second balloon and put it over the ball, sealing the opening tightly. Your stress ball is ready!

Stress balls: possible variations

Optionally, you can decorate your anti-stress ball and, for example, draw a pattern or a face with felt-tip pens. The balls are especially pretty if you use different colored balloons. How big you want your anti-stress ball to be is up to you. For small balls, however, smaller balloons are better, as they should be filled to the brim.

Tip: The stress balls are also very good for juggling. If you make several stress balls at once, you can make your own juggling balls.

Read more on Techzle.com:

• How to get through the new world of work with less stress
• 4 upcycling ideas for old tights
• Make DIY gifts yourself: make creative ideas yourself