DIY Juggling Balls

Bean bags are special balls used for juggling. They do not bounce and can be caught easily therefore.

To make our own we need:

• Rice
• Colored ballons
• An empty bottle
• A funnel
• Scissors

Step 1: Fill the bottle with rice

Use the funnel. Shake it a bit if the rice gets stuck. The bottle should be empty and dry. You don't need to fill the bottle completely.

Step 2: Blow up the ballon and put it over the bottle top

This is best done with two people. One blows up the ballon and holds it so the air doesn't escape. The other person pulls the ballon mouthpice over the bottle top.

Step 3: Fill the ballon with rice

Just turn around the bottle with the ballon attached to it. Tap against the bottle when the rice gets stuck.

Do not fill the ballon completely. Stop when you have enough filling for you bean bag.

Step 4: Fasten the ballon with a knot

Remove the ballon from the bottle and let the air escape. Fasten the ballon with a knot. If the mouth piece is filled with rice (and you cannot make a knot) press the mouth piece towards the inside of the ballon and let it go again.

Try that no air is caught inside the ballon. If there is air inside, cut a tiny hole in the ballon near the mouth piece so that it can escape.

Then cut off the mouth piece (the remaining part) 

Step 5: Add another layer

Take another ballon (ideally another color) and cut off the mouth piece.

Then put it over the rice filled ballon, starting from the side where the knot is, so that the knot is well covered by the new ballon layer.

The result should be something like this:

Step 6: Add additional layers (optional)

If you want add additional layers by repeating step 5. If you do it from different directions you can create nicely colored balls:

That's it! To juggle make three or more of these balls, try to make them about the same size.