A stress ball is a fun and malleable toy that is approximately 7cm in diameter and is a great portable tool for reducing stress. Hold the toy in your hand and move your fingers to relieve muscle tension and stress and exercise your hands. In addition to toys, stress balls can make people feel relaxed and lower blood pressure.
If you're stressed out or see other people happily playing with their stress balls, you can make your own DIY. Making your own stress balls can be a fun way to release stress and create something soft and fun. Toss a stress ball in your bag or leave one in front of your desk before you start your busy day to reduce stress. You can even customize your own stress ball by choosing your favorite color and adding stickers or colorful patterns.
Gather your supplies:
A small round balloon
Funnel
1 cup cornstarch
Scissors
Marker (optional)
1. Blow up the balloon until it is about 4 to 5 inches. Don't tie it off, but keep the balloon as inflated as possible. Pinch the top of the balloon about an inch or two from the opening to allow room for inserting the funnel into the neck of the balloon. If you don't have an assistant to help, use clamps to hold the balloon.
2. Place the funnel into the opening of the balloon while still pinching the balloon tightly. You may need to secure the funnel inside the balloon. Don't worry about whether the balloon will deflate (which can easily happen during this step). Using one hand (or asking an assistant to help) fill the top of the funnel with cornstarch. Its best to add cornstarch a little at a time.
Carefully begin replacing the air with cornstarch. Slowly release where you pinched the balloon so the cornstarch can slide into it. If you do it too quickly, the air leaving the balloon will blow the cornstarch into the air and make a mess.
Continue adding cornstarch to the funnel until the balloon is filled to a depth of about three inches. Continue adding a small amount of cornstarch to the funnel.
3. Pull up the opening of the balloon tightly and squeeze out the excess air. Tie the balloon tightly, as close to the cornstarch as possible.
4. Use scissors to cut off the excess balloon, making sure not to cut too close to the knot on the balloon.
5. Use stickers or markers as neededDecorate stress balls. Choose your favorite colors and add fun patterns to show off your artistic skills. Now you can relieve stress on the go with your own DIY stress ball!
