Jared Nesbit, a 16-year-old who has spent the last four years learning the art of making balloon creations, was recently featured in the “Food Network Magazine” and “Searcy Living.”<\/p>\n
Nesbit, also known as “Mr. Pockets,” has posted more than 70 balloon-making how-to videos on his YouTube page. Many of the videos have accumulated thousands of “likes.” He also has a Facebook page called, “Mr. Pockets Balloon Twister,” to which he posts photos and videos of his creations.<\/p>\n
Nesbit said the spark of interest for balloon art began when he was 12 years old. He said he watched someone make swords and hats at a Pizza Hut in Nashville, Tenn., and wanted to learn how.<\/p>\n
“My mom bought me a do-it-yourself balloon- making book,” Nesbit said. “For the first 30 seconds or so, I was really frustrated, but it just caught on. I did more and more and got better. I then asked Chick-Fil-A if I could twist balloons for tips. They said yes and actually agreed to pay for my balloons, too.”<\/p>\n
Nesbit said he was really excited when the “Food Network Magazine” contacted him about a feature. Nesbit said they found him from searching for kid balloon twisters on YouTube.<\/p>\n
“I saw an email from a lady from the Food Network asking me to make a birthday cake out of balloons,” Nesbit said. “I ran and told my mom, and then I started on the cake. I was done in five minutes, and I’ve never twisted so fast. The cake took about 13 balloons, and it was about the width of a pizza box and about a foot tall.”<\/p>\n
Nesbit is the son of James Nesbit, who is a professor in Harding’s college of pharmacy. James Nesbit said Jared got the name of “Mr. Pockets” after the children’s book “Katy No-Pocket.”<\/p>\n
“\u2018Katy No-Pocket’ is a story about a kangaroo without a pocket who is given a vest with pockets on the front,” James Nesbit said. “My wife made Jared a vest with pockets on the front to hold his balloons. I thought of the children’s story, and the name stuck.”<\/p>\n
James Nesbit said he is very proud of his son. He said Jared Nesbit loves creating, and he will make anything you ask for.<\/p>\n
“He’ll just think for a second and do it,” James Nesbit said. “He made a life-sized balloon of President (Bruce) McLarty for Homecoming. It was made out of 135 balloons.”<\/p>\n
Jared Nesbit said his favorite part of creating is making “huge, massive and giant” woven designs like the life-sized President McLarty. He said he loves seeing people’s reactions to his creations.<\/p>\n
“Everyone loves balloons,” Nesbit said. “It’s so nice to see their faces when I hand kids a princess or Spider-Man. Their parents love it too, and I sometimes wonder if the parents even love it more.”<\/p>\n
Jared Nesbit has made balloon creations at events like Bison Days, Homecoming, the Highlighter Run, Harding football and basketball games, Get Down Downtown and birthday parties.<\/p>\n
Nesbit said he is homeschooled but currently taking classes at Harding. He is going to major in computer programming and is hoping to continue balloon-making as a hobby and side job throughout his life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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