Easy DIY Party Poppers for confetti or pom poms!
We love quick and easy crafts – crafts that you can do in 5 minutes, but that give the kids hours of fun. When my father bought us a take away coffee and then said “want to keep the cups”, I said “no”.. and then “actually, yes” (darn, why did you ask… more things for me to upcycle and keep.. hehehehe). The paper cups where perfect for these super easy DIY Party Poppers for confetti or pom poms. Great for preschoolers and kids of all ages. This is a fun craft for bonfire night, celebration, party or New Year’s Eve with Toddlers and preschoolers or any night where you want some “quiet” firework crafts!
Anyway, this party popper craft is SO quick and easy to make, it really doesn’t matter if you don’t hang on to it. The best bit about these party poppers, is that they really POP and you can make them as messy or tidy as you like. We popped pom poms with them (nice and safe and soft and not too messy), but you can fill it with lots of confetti too. I think these party poppers would be great for 4th July or for New Year’s Eve.. or “just because” on a rainy day (we are having lots of those at the moment). And all you need is a (recycled) paper cup (washed and dried) and a balloon. Here we go – how to make your own paper cup party popper craft!!!
Paper cup confetti poppers materials:
- a paper cup
- a balloon
- scissors
- OPTIONAL: tape or an elastic band to secure
- Something to pop – such as pom poms or confetti or tissue paper cut up
When can I use these Confetti Party Poppers?
These diy poppers are perfect for any celebration. We particularly like making them for new year’s eve and they form part of our collection of Toddler Countdown Ideas! Easy and lots of fun to play with… especially if you are using these paper cup poppers with pom poms – as little ones can run around picking them up and “cracking” the party poppers over and over.
Can I make these party poppers using paper tubes or a toilet paper roll?
YES! Absolutely. We upcycled some paper cups as we had them handy, but we also prefer the “large base” across the bottom. Which allows you to stretch the balloon a little more and is easier for popping your popper so to speak. But a paper tube (e.g. paper towel rolls cut in half or toilet paper rolls) will also work. You may just need to “pull back” on your balloon a little harder!
Can I make this Party Popper craft at a New Years Eve Party with kids?
Yes, as mentioned above, theses are perfect for any New Year’s Eve Party involving kids. They are super quick and easy to make, do not need much parental invovelement and the kids can play witht hem for ours!
How do these Balloon Party Poppers even work? What is the science behind them?
YES! Making these balloon party popper is a little secret science lesson, making this a super fun seasonal STEAM activity for the classroom or homeschool as well. Newton’s Third Law of motion states for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every pull, there is a push. For every force in one direction, there is force in the opposite direction. When you pull the bottom of your knotted balloon, you create that force in one direction, which needs to be released when you let go. This action makes the confetti pop out of the paper cup or toilet paper tube. Learn more abou Newton’s Third Law of Motion on the Britannica website!
How to make your own paper cup party popper craft:
As per usual you can watch the video to tutorial on auto play or follow our step by step instructions below!
1) Couldn’t help but recycle our coffee cups.. but of course, you can use new and pretty new paper cups too. If you are recycling, rinse your cup and dry. Then cut the bottom of your cup out. Do this with scissors or a knife (but take care with a knife and do it for the kids).
2) Then make your party popper popper – cut tip off a balloon. You will only need the end of the balloon.
TOP TIP: Cut ACROSS the “fold” of the balloon”. This fold is actually a “weak point in the balloon”. If you cut it so the fold is on “either side”, it is likely that the balloon will tear along here, as you stretch it over the cup.
3) You will need to create a bottom knot of the balloon. So time to knot the balloon as if it was filled with air. Then stretch over the bottom of your cup. (some like to stretch it over the TOP of the cup, as the rim on the cup gives you extra hold. You can tape it in place or add an elastic to secure, but we found it was fine, just the way it was).
4) Fill with pom poms and have FUN!!!! As you can see, we kept out paper cup poppers pretty plain. I love the simplicity of them… however, you can of course embellish and decorate your party poppers to suit your celebrations too. E.g. if you want to make them for Diwali or bonfire night, you can add some fun firework swirls to the outside. Or paint black and add yellow star stickers!
The great thing about this DIY Party Popper Craft is about how safe it is for the kids too. I don’t know about you, but my kids like to look at all these things.. staring STRAIGHT in… with the pom poms or confetti, this is very safe and no one will get hurt. There is no “fuse” or “real” explosion, just a nice POP as the elastic snaps back and the paper cup magnifies the sound…
Check out the rest of our fabulous New Year’s Eve Crafts for Preschoolers here (we especially love the sparkly beaded bubble wands! So fun!):
