Rating: Medium
Supplies: Wrapping paper, toilet paper roll, fishing line, tape, balloons, jingle bells, or other light (not heavy) noisy objects
This trap entails a bit of very easy engineering, but it is so fun! Seriously. If you choose the right area in your home, it is guaranteed to go off. And then your little ones will be showered with confetti, balloons, jingle bells.
When I was building the trap for these photos, I had the help of my teenage brother and sister. Even though we knew it was there, we still tripped the line at least 5 times because it was in a high traffic area, and it was impossible to see.
So what in the world is a tiger trap? A trip wire spanning a walkway is holding up objects above their head. When the wire it tripped, down come all these objects.
This is one those traps that the photos speak eons in how to build it. But I will do my best to describe the construction in case the photos don’t quite make sense.
Step 1
Cut a 3-4 foot length of wrapping paper. Choose the spot you want the balloons to fall from and attach one side of the wrapping paper to the ceiling.
Step 2
Decide the path that your trip wire will follow. Cut a toilet paper roll into three pieces. It really depends on your set up, but most situations you will need 3. I placed one at the bottom of the wall, one at the top, and the third on the ceiling. Your trip wire will be threaded through these rolls.
Step 3:
Attach your trip wire. I highly recommend fishing line for this project. Tape the fishing line to the wall opposite of the toilet paper rolls. It should be taped near the ground so as the walk or crawl, they'll hit it. Then string the fishing line across the hallway or doorway and feed it through each of the toilet paper rolls, starting with the one nearest the floor and ending with the one on the ceiling. Finally, attach the fishing line to the wrapping paper creating a cradle that can hold your balloons and noisy things.
I have a photo below, where I have highlighted the rolls and string in red, because the fishing line is impossible to see otherwise.
Step 4
Fill the cradle. If you are doing this for a birthday or other celebration, then balloons and confetti are perfect. For the Christmas trap you will want noisy things, but nothing heavy as this trap cannot hold much weight. Balloons filled with jingle bells are a great option, or plastic utensils, etc.
