How to Make a Cantoya Balloon? Step by Step

Cantoya balloons have a special symbolism for people and are generally released with wishes or messages to heaven, it is believed that their origin comes from Asian culture, although in Mexico are called balloons cantoya in honor of Joaquín de la Cantolla y Rico, pioneer builder of hot air balloons.

Its operation is very basic, in fact, it is due to the change in air density, but if you are looking for how to make them in a fun and homemade way, you have come to the right place.in this article I will teach you all the steps you must follow to make a cantoya balloon; so let’s not wait any longer and let’s start!

How to Make a Cantoya Balloon?

What is Needed to Make a Cantoya Globe?

• The main requirement to make a cantoya balloon is the china paper, you will need 5 to 8 sheets of this depending on the shape you want to give the cantoya balloon
• The wire is importantit will help us to give structure to the balloon, galvanized wire No. 20 is usually used
• The wick can be made with napkins, cotton and even non-synthetic fabrics
• To get the wax that will be the balloon fuel, you can melt candles
• The glue either in stick or white will help you to join the balloon and that there is no leak or entry of air
• Having a cutter or scissors at hand will be essential to make this balloon

Steps to follow to Make a Balloon of Cantoya;

Cantoya balloons are widely used for New Year’s festivitiesis a nice way to start the year by closing the cycle of the previous one and what better way to do it than to make it with our own hands, so in this section I will leave you all the steps you need to follow to make a cantoya balloon.

Step 1.- Take the measure of the Chinese paper

Chinese paper sheets are usually rectangular, so take the width measurement and take it to the length of the paper, for example, if they are 66 cm wide, they will also be 66 cm long.

Step 2.- Cut the sheets and mark where they will be joined

Trace with a ruler and cut the 5 sheets of the same size, then take 4 of the sheets and mark 2 cm on each of their edges since this will be the space where they will be glued.

Step 3.- Paste the paper by its ends

Glue each of its ends very well and the fifth sheet will be the roof of the balloon; This step is very important because if it is not well glued, air can enter it and it will not rise.

Step 4.- Make a circle of wire for the base

Now you must make the base of the balloonFor this, take a piece of wire and make a circle that has a diameter 5 cm smaller than the walls of the balloon, for example, if these are 66×66 cm, the circle must have 61 cm; use tape to secure the ends.

Step 5.- Make the cross that will hold the wick of the balloon

Take two pieces of wire and form a cross with them, then join them to the circle you made earlier and with another piece of wire make a hook in the shape of a “U” fixing it in the center of the circle you made, hold it to the cross.

Step 6.- Make the wick of the balloon

Take 4 napkins and spread them on the work table you are using, in a pot melt a candle to get the wax, pour it on each of the napkinswait for them to cool by keeping them in the fridge.

Step 7.- Wrap the wick of the balloon in the base

After they cool take one of these napkins and wrap it around the u-hook; now join all this structure and fix it to the balloon.

Step 8.- Write your wish and tie it to the balloon

To finish, write a New Year’s wish and tie it to the balloon; to make it fly you must light the fuse you made and then release it (this part if it is advisable to do it together with someone else).

How to Make an 8 Sheet Cantoya Balloon?

There are various ways in which a Cantoya balloon can be manufactured and one of them is by making it 8 sheets, If you want to put this technique into practice, you just have to follow all the steps that we will teach you below..

Materials to use;

• 8 sheets of Chinese paper in two different colors
• scissors and cutter
• Liquid white glue
• ruler and pencil
• thin wire
• Napkins
• Candles
• Tweezers

Step 1.- Cut the tissue paper in half

Take the 8 sheets of tissue paper and cut them in halfyou will get 16 sheets in total, 8 of each color.

Step 2.- Cut the sheets diagonally

Then take 4 sheets of each color and cut them diagonally from corner to corner.in the end you will get 16 triangles.

Step 3.- Make rectangles with the triangular papers

Now make a large rectangle with two of the sheets you cut earlierand glue them one on top of the other by a 1 cm selvedge.

Step 4.- Make larger rectangles from the small ones

Do the same with the rectangles, form a larger one from two, glue them at the 90 angle^°and repeat this process 7 more times, to get 8 triangles of two colors.

Step 5.- Join the triangles and rectangles of paper

Now join the triangles and rectangles in the following way, place the rectangle vertically then join the triangles to the sides of it by the 90 angle⁰and play with the colors so that they are positioned opposite each other.

Step 6.- Place the pieces one on top of the other to glue them

Repeat this process until you get 4 equal pieces and now it’s time to join them allfor this, place one piece on top of the other, the bottom one should have the edge slightly displaced to make a hem of approximately 1 cm.

Step 7.- Add glue to the edge and join the pieces

Put glue along this fold and glue the other piece on top, then fold this same piece in half and repeat step 6.

Step 8.- Close the balloon by gluing the last edge

To close the balloon, unfold the top pieces, hem one of them, then glue them together.check that everything is very well glued and cut 15 cm from one of its ends to make the opening of the balloon.

Step 9.- Cut the napkin to make the wick

To make the balloon wick first, cut a large kitchen napkin into 4 equal-sized pieces.

Step 10.- Submerge the napkins in the liquid wax

Melt a candle so that the wax becomes liquid and with the tweezers hold the napkin to submerge it in the liquid wax; then let them cool until the wax is cold and solid.

Step 11.- Make the base of the balloon

Measure the size of the opening or base of the balloon, in this case it should be a square of approximately 24 cm and make a square with wire of this same dimensionuse packing tape to secure its ends.

Step 12.- Place the base on the edge of the balloon and fix it

Insert the square inside the balloon and hold it with an inward hem that will cover it and fix it with glue.

Step 13.- Make a base for the balloon wick

Cut two 35 cm pieces of wire and fold them in half, then pierce the two strands through the center and then further down with one of the wires and insert the second through the same holes.

Step 14.- Bring the wick to the center and turn the base into a kind of spider

Run the wicks to the center of the wires and adjust them by wrapping the wires with the clamp; later separate the ends of the wire, one in each direction, obtaining a spider in the shape of a cross with the wick in the middle.

Step 15.- Wind this spider with wick to the base of the balloon

Roll it up at the base of the balloon, piercing one of its edges in the middle and make sure that all the ends are aligned. so that balance can be maintained and voila! You will be able to release your Cantoya balloon in a year new.

How to Make a Small Cantoya Balloon?

The best thing about cantoya balloons is that you can make them in different sizes, there is something for everyone, that’s why In this section you will find all the steps to make a small-sized cantoya balloon, with simple and practical materials.

Materials to use;

• 5 sheets of Chinese paper in different colors
• liquid white glue
• Galvanized wire Nº20
• Cutting pliers
• 4 napkins
• Scotch tape
• ruler and pencil
• Pair of scissors
• girl candle

Step 1.- Cut the paper for the cantoya balloon

Use the ruler and pencil to draw a 30×30 cm square on one of the sheets of china paper, lThen place the rest below and cut them all following the traced line.

Step 2.- Mark the gluing edges on the paper

Take 4 of the sheets and mark 2 cm on each of their edges since this will be the space where they will be glued.

Step 3.- Glue all the ends very well

Glue each of its ends very well and then the fifth sheet is the roof of the balloon; This step is very important because if it is not well glued, air can enter the balloon and not rise.

Step 4.- Make a base circle for the balloon

Take a piece of wire and make a circle that has a smaller diameter than the walls of the balloonIf they are 30×30 cm, the circle will measure approximately 25 cm; use tape to secure the ends.

Step 5.- Create a base for the wick and attach it to the base of the balloon

Form a cross with two pieces of wire, then join them to the circle you made earlier and make a “U” shaped hook. fixing it in the center of the circle you made.

Step 6.- Make the wick for the cantoya balloon

Take 4 napkins and spread them on the work table you are using, in a pot melt a candle to get the wax and pour it over each one of them, Wait for them to cool by storing them in the fridge.

Step 7.- Wrap the wick in the base hook

After they cool, take one of these napkins, wrap it in the “U” hook, now join this whole structure and fix it to the balloon.

Step 8.- Release the balloon

To make it fly you must light the fuse you made and then release it, Before releasing it, tie the wish you want to fulfill or something you want to release to the base.the cantoya balloons They serve to take away and burn what weighs us down on paper or to attract what we yearn for with our hearts..

How to Make a Cantoya Balloon in the Shape of a Cube?

It is also possible to make a cube-shaped cantoya balloon, if you want to learn how to do it in this section I will teach you everything you need to know.

Materials to use;

• 4 sheets of tissue paper of the same or different colors
• Liquid glue
• Galvanized wire Nº20
• Cutting pliers
• 12 napkins
• two candles

Step 1.- Join two Chinese papers by the width

Take two of the sheets of Chinese paper and join them very well on the width side, that is, the one that measures fewer centimetersyou must bear in mind that there cannot be any holes that allow the entry of air.

Step 2.- Fold two more papers and place the first ones on top

The two remaining sheets must be folded in half on the longest side and place the ones you joined before horizontally on the table or surface you are working on.

Step 3.- Put a sheet of Chinese paper under the previous one

Now place and paste another spread below this onemake sure that the joining lines of the first sheets coincide with the fold line of the one you are placing below.

Step 4.- Repeat the previous step

Repeat the procedure, with the last sheet, but you will place it on the other side, at the In the end you will have a cross formed by the four sheets of Chinese paper.

Step 5.- Join all the sides of the paper to assemble the cube

Glue each of the sides of the paper to make the cube shape completely closed, For this, make a 1 cm tab on one of the sides, then place a line of glue on this tab and join the other side.

Step 6.- Cut one of the corners to place the base of the balloon

Wait for them to dry and then cut one of their corners about 10 cm away and measure the size of this opening to make the base square.

Step 7.- Prepare the wick for the cantoya balloon

It’s time to make the fuse, place the candles to melt so that the wax becomes liquid, then roll the 12 napkins together and dip them in the wax so that they soak very well with it, let them dry.

Step 8.- Assemble the base of the balloon and place the wick

With the galvanized wire make the base of the balloon, it should be square the same size as the opening you made, then cross the square with two more pieces of wire making a cross and fix the wick on it.

Step 9.- Fix the base to the ridge balloon

Join this base with the balloon by inserting it through the opening, to fix it, fold the edges of the balloon so that they cover the wire with glue; In this way, your cube-shaped cantoya balloon will be ready to be used.

How to Make a Cantoya Balloon in the Shape of a Rhombus?

One of the most original shapes of the cantoya balloons are those that have a rhombus shape, Making them is not complicated and you will need few materials for it, in this section we will tell you everything you need to make them.

Materials to use;

• 8 sheets of Chinese paper in two different colors
• scissors and cutter
• Glue stick
• Candles
• Cotton
• Wire
• Tube

Step 1.- Cut the sheets of Chinese paper diagonally

Start by cutting the tissue paper diagonally.so that, for each sheet you get two triangles, in the end you should have 16.

Step 2.- Paste the triangles at the 90º angle

Take a triangle of each color and join them by the side that has the 90º angle, repeat this process until you join them all and have 8 bigger triangles.

Step 3.- Fix a pair of triangles at the base

Later, join a pair of triangles by their base and try to make the colors of the paper contrast, remember that you must glue the selvedges very well since there can be no spaces where the air can sneak in.

Step 4.- Start by gluing the first two rhombuses to close the balloon

Step 3 should result in 4 rhombuses, now you have to glue themfor this, make a 1 cm hem or selvedge on one of the sides of the rhombus, then glue the second one below it.

Step 5.- Glue the rhombus 2 to the third from the other end

Fold up the side of the diamond that is not glued, now glue the third rhombus and you are going to make the 2 cm selvedge in the middle of the 2nd rhombus that is folded up; paste the 3rd below it.

Step 6.- Repeat the two previous steps until finished

Now repeat the process, until you close the balloonfor this you must take into account that in the end the selvedge will go on the folded side of the 4th diamond and you must glue the free side of the first diamond to the last one.

Step 7.- Make the wick for the cantoya balloon

It’s time to make the wick of the balloonplace the melted candles and then when the wax is liquid, dip a thick strip of cotton in it.

Step 8.- Roll up the wick and wait for it to dry

Wait for it to soak very well and then take it out with the tube and roll it on itselfgetting a cotton roll, wait for it to dry or put it in the refrigerator.

Step 9.- Shape the base structure of the balloon

To make the base of the balloon you must make a not very large circle of wire, then he makes a kind of pyramid on it using two more pieces that intersect and form this conical structure.

Step 10.- Calculate the size of the base and take it to the balloon

Now you must calculate the size of the base in the balloon, for that, place it on top of one of its corners and where it covers the space of this will be the indicated place.

Step 11.- Cut the opening in the balloon to put the base

Then cut about 3 cm above the calculated measurement and cut the corner of the balloon (we recommend you choose the least pretty), make small cuts around this will become eyelashes.

Step 12.- Fit the wick at the base of the balloon and voila!

Take the wick out of the fridge and fit it into the base you made from wire, then insert this base into the balloon and paste it, wrapping the selvedge tabs around the wire and voila! Your cantoya balloon will be finished

What is the price of a Cantoya balloon?

If you want to acquire them and not do it with your own hands, You should know that Cantoya balloons have a very affordable priceTherefore, if you do not want to invest in the materials to make them, keep in mind that depending on their size, quantity and shape They have a price ranging from 7.3 euros to 23 euros.

We have reached the end, but not before thanking you for reading us this far, we hope that with these ideas you can make a Cantoya balloon with your hands and send a special message to heaven; Finally, we want to remind you that you can continue enjoying all the content we have for you by visiting our website in future publications. We are waiting for you!