Okay, clowns, I need to purchase a balloon apron. Do you have any recommendations? I know Fitz & some other clowns have mentioned that Twist em Up has some good ones.

Is there a particular apron on that site that you would recommend? I need something that I can wear when I'm twisting but not a clown.

Thanks!

The twist-em is the best I have seen as long as you don't try to put more than the recommended amount per loop. He has evidently done extensive research and if you have 1 extra the Velcro has an automatic release feature. It works a lot better than the home made version I used to use.

He can make them in plain colors or prints to match your costume or lack thereof.

Go with the Twist 'Em Up ... it's their specialty.

As far as which apron, I think it really depends on how many balloons you think you might carry. Whichever you get I would spring for the two inch wide belt, it is much more comfortable. I have the largest apron they make, three rows of velcro with 12 loops in each strip. It was probably one of the best investments I made in my ballooning.

Fitz, the description doesn't say how wide the belt is. I probably don't need the giant one you have. Do you think I would be okay with the "Easy Load Deluxe"? I would call them to ask questions, but their phones are down.

Bubbles and I are looking at their Busking bags. Anyone have any experience with them?

Thanks.

Yay for Twist 'Em Up

A good friend of mine has the busking bag and really seems to like it but we haven't worked together much when he has had it. It seems like he is not very mobile when he is using the bag and his filbert pump. Not that that really matters at a large event but it wouldnt work for me ar the restaurants.

I have been using the double busking bag from Twist em up for about 5 years now and love it. I am about to get the triple bag. I just love how many balloons you can store in them. With my balloon skills growing I need more space so I am moving up. My only concern with an apron would be heat. With it against your body has anyone had issues with the balloons heating up and distorting?

There are two layers of material between you and the balloons so the balloons don't seem to be bothered any. I have worn mine in some pretty hot conditions without a problem (except me needing to stay hydrated.) Where do you do most of your twisting that you have room to carry a double or triple? They sure look cool and I would like one for that reason alone.

They sure look cool and I would like one for that reason alone.

You don't need one to make you look cool, Fitzwilly ... you've already got that down pat WITHOUT it.:D

I got my friend to make me a balloon dress :P

Target sells a small wood tv tray for like $8. Even if I want to go and move around it's an easy move. When I buy the triple I am going to sell the double. I don't do restaurant work so the bag has always worked for me.

Does anyone know where to find this "Twist 'Em Up" ?

www.twistemup.com (http://www.twistemup.com)

Twistemup.com

I love thier bag design.. I use the biggest one they make.. but i fear soon i need to up grade to using a foot locker and a tray stand .. even the twist em up bag can no longer support my balloon habit.

Oh, I need a bag built on a swivel belt system that could go all the way around my body and i can just turn it to access what i need.. OOO.. i think i just sparked an idea!!

But seriously.. is there anything out there that is larger???

= Skillz

I have had the Delux apron for 5 years and I love it! unfortunately, like a lot of you, I need an upgrade. I've been trying toconvice mom to let me get the size larger. I'd also like to get mine in a different color, since I've changed my costume.

Pickles ……. Think real hard on the apron…. For Myself I like and prefer to use an old bucket and a roll around…… The Bucket can be old or new and on bottom I just drilled a hole and put a small eye hook so it coming from bottom to inside of bucket, then I used tan canvas and draw string that is themed painted sort of like a pillow case and the open end is where I have got open area separated into 3 parts so that the strings go threw the eye hook run each line threw hook and pull it all draws tight around bucket with the theme for my clown and wrap all my balloons in there own colors so they are standing up all colors are organized easy access, the roll around is what I might carry all the little extras I got and different balloons, can Haul 6 times more balloons then a balloon apron and don’t have to feel confined with something tied around me. Just a thought a ton of things you can do then just limit yourself to an apron

Pickles ……. Think real hard on the apron…. For Myself I like and prefer to use an old bucket and a roll around…… The Bucket can be old or new and on bottom I just drilled a hole and put a small eye hook so it coming from bottom to inside of bucket, then I used tan canvas and draw string that is themed painted sort of like a pillow case and the open end is where I have got open area separated into 3 parts so that the strings go threw the eye hook run each line threw hook and pull it all draws tight around bucket with the theme for my clown and wrap all my balloons in there own colors so they are standing up all colors are organized easy access, the roll around is what I might carry all the little extras I got and different balloons, can Haul 6 times more balloons then a balloon apron and don’t have to feel confined with something tied around me. Just a thought a ton of things you can do then just limit yourself to an apron

Sounds really neat...do you have a pic of this? I have a large lime green fabric suitcase w/ pink polka-dots that matches my costume and I always keep my balloons in it...but now that I am starting to do more walk-around work the suitcase isn't practical anymore (especially for restraunts!) I don't want a traditional black apron because I'm afraid it will just hide most of my costume and take away from the colorfulness of it. Also, I have seen twisters who's aprons are completely loaded down...I'm only 5'1", so I don't want to have to try to walk around with that many balloons attatched to my waist! I think that would just be asking for a major backache! Your bucket idea sounds really practical though...I think I could work with that :)

Chatters.......

The Bucket is so..So easy..... To make..... JUST THINK JUST LIKE A PILLOW CASE (concept) AND THE BUCKET GOES INSIDE OF IT..... THEN THE OPEN END GOES INSIDE TO THE BOTTOM OF BUCKET ( make sure you allow and have plenty of canvas or fabric so it covers inside but also enough fabric so it does not take away from your inside bucket diameter very important or you will not get as many balloons as you can ) OF IT AND WITH THE DRAW STRING TIED INTO ANCHER IT CREATS A NON-FRICTION SURFACE THAT YOUR BALLOONS ARE THERE AND NOT RUBBING AGENST PLASTIC ..... and since you are using a canvas or fabric on the outside make OUTLINE, mark with white pencil out the tools you need then sow the pockets so all your other stuff is hooked in and sets inside of pockets so in short all your tools and gadgets needed are there AND balloons safe on inside........ Pic's thought real hard about pic's put some up of portion of me, and some other stuff I do and did ...THEN TOOK THEM DOWN ... the only reason I did that and do not post any pic’s or uploads is this site is completely open to anyone with a computer.... and would much rather give access to a group rather then world wide web so when it comes to pic’s, video, props, skit and bit development for act, and glass fussing even matting I just don’t make it available to spiders gathering stuff for the web, I am paranoid about pic’s and uploads..... LOOKING FOR A GOOD 12 STEP program for that at this time. But with these directions it really is easy to….. I am so paranoid I don’t even have or want a website for customers…

oh forgot you can paint fabric with brush's or air brush and with age it looks better

You also might want to check out the swifty bags. They are GREAT for people looking to perform with balloons. I have to say I believe they are the absolute BEST you can get. He'll also work with you on custom building a bag just for you. I believe his website is swiftybags.com. If not, it should be pretty easy to find on google. ;-)

Oh I'm sad now, I thought for a moment this was about an apron made of balloons..

I'm a constant tinkerer. I'm not much for coming up with my own ideas but I excell at taking other people's ideas and adding that "plus one". With that in mind, I started out with the standard sized twist em up too. But then I took it a bit further. ;) The first thing was to attach it to an alice web belt. For those not in the military, that's the standard combat belt you can get at any army/navy surplus store. They come in other colors besides the drab green you usually see. I went with basic black. The great thing about these belts are the comfort. They're wider, and you can also get a padded "suspenders" for even more comfort. Another advantage of the alice system, is they can accomidate about a million different little pouches to expand your carrying needs. The pouches can attach to the belt or the suspenders. I take the pouches to an air brush friend of mine to add a bit of color to each piece, so it doesn't look like I'm a clown at war. It also helps that I'm a big guy to begin with, so a 2in web belt doesn't look out of place.

Balloon Man, I would love to see a photo of a loaded Swifty Bag. From the photos, it's difficult to see how the balloons are organized. Is this a relatively new product? I'm surprised nobody's mentioned here before (or maybe they have, and I just missed it).

Dlfynrdr, I would also like to see a photo of your apron with the alice web belt. I love my Twist 'em Up apron, but I am finding it necessary to haul along a bucket caddy to accommodate all of my extra specialty balloons. This has really become a lot to carry, especially if I am also using my Filbert pump.

You know, that brings up one interesting point.... my pump. (This won't help you too much, Pickles, since I use a qualatex hand pump). A cute way to carry a hand pump.... A company called Stephen Joseph (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stylefeeder.com%2Fi%2Fkz22m3m 1%2FStephen-Joseph-Bottle-Buddies-Dolphin&ei=HFVtTMvOCYWKlwfp04TVDg&usg=AFQjCNFMiLsW1iVVlvZOVEuUcDDbsk9Yfw)makes a series of products called Bottle Buddies. They're a series of bags decorated with different stuffed animals (I have a dolphin, and a monkey as a backup). They're designed for kids to put bottles of water in them to carry like cute little canteens, but I found that a hand pump fits in them perfectly also. They come with a strap to carry it around your neck, but as a tinkerer, I just couldn't leave that alone. I cut off the extra long section of the strap that left the D-ring still attached. I then got a mickey mouse lanyard (You know those key necklaces that are EVERYWHERE lately), and clipped it to the D-ring. The bag doesn't interfere with the pump, and after I pum up a balloon, I don't have to fiddle with getting the pump back into a pocket. I just drop it and let it all hang out! It also gives a cute little stuffed animal to play with. "He does all my heavy work." "This used to be the monkey on my back, but now I gave him a job and he moved to my chest"

My last bag just got stolen this week, so I'll be making a new one. I'll post a pic of it for you, Pickles, just as soon as I get the new one put together.

I'm Sorry, Balloon Man, but $200 for a balloon bag?!?!? I thought I was going extravigant when I payed 50 for my twistemup. And they don't really look like they're all that impressive anyway. I mean if you just want something with a lot of pockets to stuff balloons into, you can get a bucket caddy from Home Depot for $10. It might be worth it if you have an idea for a custom bag, maybe.

Well, you asked for it. I'm still waiting for the twistemup apron to come in, but this is the foundation for my set up. The things that make everything work (again, you guys with military background are saying "Duh", I know) are the belt1790 and those little metal pieces called "ALICE clips"1792. You can find them online, or at any military surplus store. They come in different colors, most commonly green. I usually use basic black, but I found a website that had them on sale in tan. For the rest of you BIG BOYS, you'll probably need the belt extendor1793 (no insult intended, as you see, I need one too). The belts are fullly adjustable for different sizes, but they are designed for guys who walk 20 miles a day in full packs. I found a good deal on a fanny pack, so I sewed 2 alice clips into the ends and cut out the belt that was attached to it1795. I also found a few small alice style pouches too. 1791These are usually used for compasses, survival mirrors, or first aid kits. As you see, you can pretty much cover the belt with them, and are perfect for my round specialty balloons. The snaps are a bit awkward, so I'm thinking of popping (no pun intended) them off and sewing velcro on to keep them closed. I'll post more pics when I get my apron in.

dlfynrdr,

Thanks for the pics. I can see where the extra pouches would come in handy. As I said earlier, I never seem to have enough pockets for all my specialty stuff.

You probably know that you can upgrade a Twist 'em Up apron with a wider belt. I did this for mine -- for comfort reasons -- and the add-on cost was not substantial. I'm thinking it was not more than $10. Would you say that your military belt is even winder and more comfy than the upgraded, wider Twist 'em Up belt?

Probably so. Especially when you take into account that they have extra padding that can be added to the belt (what they call "kidney pads") as well as the suspenders. None of those are shown here, but they are available. If you're looking for cheap extra comfort, by all means get the upgrade they offer. But the alice belt is MUCH more versatile and just as comfortable, if not more so. And offers much more chances for "tinkering". :D
PS..... I just looked up the twistemup site, pickles. That extra belt they sell is 2 inches. The alice belt is 2 - 3/16 inches. So, yeah it is a bit bigger.

Well, I finally got my new apron in. We're not supposed to say anything negative about folks on here, so I won't go into how slow these folks have been, or how they never returned my calls, messages, or emails. So I won't mention that. I'll just say if you want a twistemup apron, you're probably better off going directly through twistemup directly. As soon as I finish customizing it, I'll post more pics, if anyone's interested.

Well, her it is folks!! 1865
I'm so proud of my rig!! 1866
This is the Batman's utility belt of balloon aprons! I started out with a military LBD (load bearing device), then I rigged a twistemup apron to use the ALICE clips. I also had a fanny pack rigged to use the ALICE clips too. The fanny pack holds my stickers and super bouncy balls, as well as a small bottle of "snake eggs". (Actually just rice I use to make my rattle snake forms rattle) Just recently, so I'd have more small pockets for my specialty balloons (I call them my cheater balloons), I ordered a smaller apron from the twistemup site directly. 1868
They custom made it with the ALICE clips already attached. One thing about adding the ALICE clips on my main apron.... THAT THING IS HEAVY!! At least it is when fully loaded, and I only use 2 of the 3 strips. That's mostly why I added the suspenders to make holding it more comfortable. 1869 Also, because it's so heavy, it needs at least 3 points to hold the weight. I don't have a sewing machine, I so I used rivets. Also, I had to use an X pattern, or else the rivets pull through the cloth of the webbing belt. 1867
I did this after I had it sewn, but they sewed just a straight line and it pulled through the webbing. I also got some password reels from an office supply store. They hold my scissors, and my t-snippit (I had to carve the t-snippit a bit to make it fit). I usually wear a vest to cover the suspenders, but I still had an air brush artist to color-up one of the straps in case it peeked out. (You should have seen the looks of the military folks I passed in the mall when I walked past with a LBD suspender with little balloons all over it :D) I also included a picture of my pump. I posted a description of it earlier, but this is the pic. (PS For the record, these were taken with me just hanging out at my local BK. I don't always look like a hobo clown without the makeup.8-))

I didn't realize I could only post 5 pics, so these go with the previous post.1870

1871

1872

1873

Quite the rig!! Have you used it yet at a gig and how does your back hold up?

That looks like a fairly nice rig. Though I have to admit... If I were carrying that much stuff, I think I might invest in a busking bag and a nice rolling table.

Congrats on the use of Alice clips. That's a great idea. I'm already brainstorming on how I could use something similar.

Oh yeah, I've been using it for some time now. Usually at 3-5 hour intervals. Thanks for the compliments, guys. My main source of income is street performing and restaraunt gigs, so I have to stay mobile. I like to stroll around the parks where the kids are, kinda hard to do with a table, and impossible to do in a crowded restaraunt with a rolling table. As far as my back, not as bad as it could be. The suspenders distribute the weight pretty well, but I won't lie, after about 6 hours, I am DEFINATELY ready to sit down.

Oh, I can imagine. I'm personally trying to move to a stationary rig myself. I love being mobile, but think I'll LOVE the option to take a mobile or stationary aparatus with me.

Anyone else have multiple types of rigs?

I purchased a large apron from twistemup a few months back and I must say I love the freedom it gives me. I am doing more and more restaurants and my busking bag was getting in the way. I will say that you are limited to what you can carry in the smaller pouches. I try and pick the specialty balloons I am going to need most for them. I also got a simple water bottle carrying bag I attached to my aprons belt to drop scraps. I love being able to use my scraps for another creation. I was also thinking that someone should develop a bag that will attach to a floor pump to hold extra balloons. It would work perfect and you don’t have the added weight you have to carry on your body!

If you just want extra pockets for specialty balloons, get twistemup's "quick draw" bag maybe even 2. They're small enough to slide on your existing belt. One on each side. Just take the strips out and you have 2 big pockets for your scraps. They made mine custom with the ALICE clips I use, but you can just ask them to leave loops to go into your belt. As far as the floor pump, find somebody who sews. It shouldn't be any trouble to make a sleave that goes over the floor pump and add a bunch of pockets. The problem you're going to find I'm afraid will be the weight. All those extra balloons will make the pump harder to move around, as well as pumping (since most floor pumps operate by lifting the outer shell instead of the inner). The coolest floor pump I've seen was posted in here by another clown. Sonshine D Clown. Check out her post here http://www.clown-forum.com/clown-forum/2767-clowning-pvc-self-made-balloon-pumps.html

That is very nice. Are the pouches for balloon one of those plastic aprons? I hade some issues with one of those that pockets tore after a few uses. If your's is standing up what brand is it.

By the way that is in the best traditions of Circus folk that make their own equiment.

It's from twistemup.com . They are very sturdy. I'm not sure what the material is. It is some kind of cloth weave though. Maybe nylon cloth, but still very sturdy. Mine's lasted me about a year now.