Our very simple to follow descriptions will let you determine what balloon decors are the most ideal pick for your special party.
We felt overwhelmed with the large selection of displays we came across when we started with balloon decorating. Yet along our learning process, we discovered that all of it boils down to three essential concepts:
Balloon Bouquet
Most commonly used as a centerpiece for tables, the balloon bouquet really is the heart of a balloon display. Between two and nine balloons, attached to curling stripes, are arranged in different heights and affixed to a table base. In the instances below the base is either a heavy flower gift basket or a sand-filled balloon. It can be practically any decorative item that is weighty enough to keep the balloons in place and where the ribbons can be attached to.
A balloon centerpiece can be made of latex OR mylar (also called foil) balloons OR you can blend them.
As the balloons have to be helium filled this choice determines the life expectancy of your balloon decorations. Whereas mylar balloons will float approximately 14 days, even the best quality latex balloons won't stay up longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. By applying a product knowned as 'hi-float', it's achievable to make them last 10 to 25 times as long!
Balloon Arch
Naturally, balloon arches fulfill their function best when you can go through them! So they are best balloon decorations for an entrance or exit. Commonly they are also utilized to frame the head or cake table at a wedding celebration or to create a spectacular stage decoration.
Unlike with bouquets you get the choice between helium or air-filled balloon arch.
A hovering arch is composed of single helium-filled balloons lined up like pearls along an invisible nylon string, hence the name "String of Pearls". The two ends are fixed to bases, quite similar to the table bases for bouquets, just a bit heavier and often standing on the floor. A brick or sand filled balloon will do the job and can easily be decorated nicely.
With a "String of Pearls" - usually utilized for wedding balloon arches - you put together an amazing effect with fairly little effort. The only drawback is the short life-span, as a result of the nature of helium-filled latex balloons, as described above.
If the decorations for your special event must last much longer, you can either utilize mylar balloons in place of latex or you go with an arch with air-filled balloons.
With these options of balloon decorations, there is a little more constructional work involved, as an air filled balloon arch needs some supportive elements:
a frame made from a solid, flexible material such as conduit, PVC piping or aluminium pole and
a tough bottom at either end to secure the arch.
The pipe or rod is formed into the actual arch and the balloons are connected to it, typically in clusters of three to five balloons. By using different colors and placing the balloons in a special way you'll get this nice spiraling effect shown on the photo. Don't panic, we'll explain step by step and with lots of photos how to do that!
Depending on the size of the arch you'll have to blow up quite a few balloons! Get your family and friends ready! Alternatively you might use a hand pump or even rent or buy an electrical inflator. This investment, of course, only makes sense if you are preparing to do many more balloon decorations.
A much simpler way to build an air filled balloon arch is by using so called 'Link-o-Loon' balloons.
Balloon Column
Placed as amazing eye-catchers at each side of an entry or head dining table at a wedding, balloon columns are great for wedding balloon decorations. They also make exceptional balloon decorations for defining an area of your wedding venue, as an example the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are normally composed of air filled balloons, supporting materials are required:
a solid metal or plastic pole and
a strong base as anchor for the pole.
The balloons are tied to clusters of often three to five balloons and fixed to the rod, more info layer after layer. Utilizing a larger size balloons for the top and the bottom, and smaller sized balloons in between, the balloon column takes the characteristic contour of its model in the "real" world. To crown your work you could put a stuffed giant balloon on top of the balloon column.
Like with the air filled arch, both of these balloon decorations mean you'll have to blow up a ton of balloons! So, getting an inflator would be a pretty good strategy, particularly for blowing up the giant balloon that crowns your column.
You may fill only the balloons at the bottom with air and the rest with helium. This way you won't need a sturdy base and a pole, as the balloons are going to support themselves. Work with a nylon line to affix the balloon clusters to.
If you need the display just for one evening, a helium filled balloon column will do fine. It saves you the struggle of creating a frame and leasing an inflator. On the other hand, helium costs more than air and the life-span of the balloon decorations will be much smaller.