Pretty Peacock

Tonya McNeill

Supplies needed:
1-dark blue 260, 1-goldenrod 160, 2-pale blue 160s, 2-wildberry 160s, 1-scrap white 160
*you may use whatever colors you prefer, this is what I used.

Step 1: Inflate the dark blue 260 leaving a 5″ tail and tie off.
Step 2 – The Head: From the nozzle end make a 4″ side of head (soh) bubble, 1″ back of head (boh) pinch twist, a 4″ side of head (soh) bubble, and 2-1″ top of head pinch twists. Connect the nozzle to the top of head pinch twists.
Step 3: Make a 3rd 4″ bubble (for the forehead) and connect it to the back of head (boh) pinch twist.
Step 4 – The Neck and Chest: Make a 3″ neck bubble and 1″ chest pinch twist.
Step 5 – The Body: Make a 4″ body bubble, a 1″ tail pinch twist (tpt), and 4″ body bubble. Connect back to the chest pinch twist (cpt).
Step 6 – The Belly: Inflate the 1st pale blue 160 leaving a 4″ tail and tie off. Connect the nozzle to the chest pinch twist (cpt). Make a little bit bigger than 4″ belly bubble and connect it to the tail pinch twist (tpt).
Steps 6 & 7 – The Tail: Continuing with the pale blue 160 make a 5″ bubble, a 1″ bubble and a 5″ bubble. Connect it back to the tail pinch twist (tpt). This is the center tail feather.	For the 2nd tail feather, measure a 4″ bubble, a 1″ bubble, and 4″ bubble. Connect it to the tail pinch twist.
Steps 8 & 9: Make a 3rd tail feather (the same bubble sizes as the 2nd) on the other side of the center tail feather.	Inflate the 2nd pale blue 160 and connect the nozzle to the tail pinch twist. Make the 4th and 5th tail feathers by using these bubble sizes for each: 3″, 1″, and 3″. Connect them back to the tail pinch twist each time then tie and break off the remaining 160. Position them as in the above photo.
Steps 10 & 11 – Outer Tail: Inflate the 1st wildberry 160 leaving a 5″ tail and tie off. Connect the nozzle to the tail pinch twist. On the smallest (3″) tail feather turn the 1″ bubble into a pinch twist. Make a little bit smaller than 3″ bubble and connect it to the pinch twist on the top of the feather. Make a soft 2.5″ loop around the pinch twist. (the 1st loop pictured on the right is 3″. I think a 2.5″ loop looks better).	Turn the 1″ bubble on the 4″ tail feather into a pinch twist. Make a 3″ spacer bubble then a 2.5″ loop around the top of the 2nd feather pinch twist. **Turn the 1″ bubble on the center (5″) tail feather into a pinch twist. Continuing with the wildberry 160 make another 3″ spacer bubble and a 2.5″ loop around the pinch twist.** Break and tie off the remaining wildberry balloon.
Step 12: Inflate the 2nd wildberry 160 and tie off. Connect the nozzle to the center tail feather pinch twist. Continuing the pattern between the red asterisks (**) from step #11 connect the remaining feathers. Then make a little bit smaller than 3″ bubble down the outside of the 5th tail feather and connect it back to the tail pinch twist.
Step 13: Slightly twist each of the tail feathers to fill in the empty space between feathers.
Step 14 – The Cheeks & Beak: Inflate the goldenrod 160 leaving a 6″ tail and tie off. Make 2 – 3.5″ cheek bubbles and turn them into loop twists.
Steps 15 & 16: Connect the cheeks to the back of head (boh) pinch twist. Position the head so that the 2 side of head bubbles are centered above the back of head (boh) pinch twist.	Make a 2.5″ to 3″ beak bubble then break and tie off keeping the remaining goldenrod inflated for the next step. Position the beak in the center under the forehead bubble.
Step 17 – The Feet and Legs: Make a 1″ to 1.5″ heel pinch twist, then a ring of 3 – 2″ foot bubbles.
Steps 18 & 19: Make a 3″ leg bubble and a 1″ thigh pinch twist. Pull the goldenrod balloon between the belly and back until it almost touches the thigh pinch twist.	Make a 2″ bubble under the belly bubble, then a 2nd thigh, leg, foot, and heel. This is a view from the back.
*NOTE: You can make the legs an alternate way if you want. Just omit the thigh pinch twists and measure a loop the size you.d like the legs to be. Connect it to the heel pinch twist then make the second foot leaving off the 2nd heel.
Step 20 – The Eyes: Inflate the scrap white 160 to 6″ and tie off. Make 2 soft little bigger than 2.5″ eye bubbles. Tie and trim off the remaining balloon as close to the knot as possible for a clean look.
Steps 21 & 22: Gently tuck the eyes under the forehead bubble and center them.
Steps 23 & 24: Top of Head feathers: Using the remaining wildberry 160 from step 12 make a 4″ bubble and tie off. Center the bubble.	Turn the 4″ bubble into 2 – 2″ bubbles.
Step 25: Attach them to the top of head (toh) pinch twists then force the air into the ends of the balloon. I like to leave one slightly taller than the other.
Add pupils to the eyes and here is your completed peacock.
If you want to make it a little more elaborate, add another 160 any color (I used dark blue) to the tail feathers. Inflate a 160 leaving a 5″ tail and stretch well.	Connect the nozzle to the tail pinch twist, and then make soft bubbles up the front and down the back of each tail feather.