About

I'm Aliya!

I started learning to make balloon animals in 2022. It was a bummer to fill up my apartment with balloon creations that couldn't last forever, so I made a cardboard sign that said "Free Balloon Animals" and planted myself on a bench in Waikiki. In 2024, I became a vendor at the Kaka'ako Farmers Market and created Plot Twist. 

For me, balloon twisting is the magic of turning color and air into something that has life and personality. I love that I get to bring a being into existence specially for the person in front of me, and I live for the moment of connection when I hand a creation off to its owner to be loved and enjoyed. 

When I'm not balloon twisting, you can find me snuggling my cats, playing board games, and working on my PhD at UH Manoa.

How did I learn to make balloon animals? 

YouTube tutorials and practice! As I came to understand twisting technique, I started to tweak existing designs to be just how I wanted them and even create my own designs from scratch.

Why did I learn to make balloon animals? 

Short answer: On a dare, I guess?

Long answer: For a scavenger hunt! Specifically, the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, a four-day-long annual event at my alma mater where teams attempt to complete a long list of wacky items and challenges. I return to Chicago every year to participate with my team. In 2022, I volunteered for a challenge called "Skills Hunt" where I had to learn a surprise assigned skill by the end of the scavenger hunt. That skill turned out to be balloon twisting. I learned to make a mean unicorn hat in those four days to show off to the judges, but I didn't stop learning when the scavenger hunt was over.