Our easy to follow explanations will help you figure out what balloon decorations are the right choice for your special occasion.
We felt overwhelmed with the huge range of displays we came across when we kicked off with balloon decorating. Along our studying process, we figured out that it all boils down to three basic designs:
Balloon Bouquet
Typically used as a centerpiece for dinner tables, the balloon bouquet really is the heart of a balloon display. Between two and nine balloons, connected to curling stripes, are laid out in different heights and connected to a table base. In the examples beneath the base is either a heavy flower gift basket or a sand-filled balloon. It can be almost any decorative object that is weighty enough to hold the balloons in place and where the ribbons can be attached to.
A balloon centerpiece can be made from latex OR mylar (also named foil) balloons OR you can combine them.
As the balloons need to be helium filled this choice determines the life-span of your balloon decorations. Whereas mylar balloons will float approximately 14 days, even the highest quality latex balloons will not keep up much longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. By working with a product called 'hi-float', it's possible to make them last 10 to 25 times as long!
Balloon Arch
Typically, balloon arches perform their objective best when you can walk through them! So they are perfect balloon decorations for a doorway or exit. Usually they are also used to frame the head or cake table at a wedding event or to make an incredible stage decor.
Unlike with bouquets you get the choice between helium or air-filled balloon arch.
A floating arch is made of single helium-filled balloons aligned like pearls throughout an unnoticeable nylon line, hence the name "String of Pearls". Both ends are fixed to bases, similar to the table bases for bouquets, just a bit heavier and typically standing on the floor. A brick or sand filled up balloon will get the job done and can easily be decorated quite nicely.
With a "String of Pearls" - often used for wedding balloon arches - you make an incredible result with quite little effort. The only problem is the short lifespan, due to the nature of helium-filled latex balloons, as explained above.
If the decoration for your unique function have to last a lot longer, you may either use mylar balloons instead of latex or you go for an arch with air-filled balloons.
However, with these styles of balloon decorations, there is a little more constructional work required, as an air filled balloon arch needs some supportive elements:
a structure made from a solid, flexible material like conduit, PVC piping or aluminium pole and
a sturdy foundation at either end to secure the arch.
The pipe or rod is formed into the actual arch and the balloons are attached to it, mainly in bunches of three to five balloons. By utilizing a variety of colors and putting the balloons in a special way you'll get this good spiraling result displayed on the photo. Do not worry, we'll describe step by step and with lots of photos how to do that!
Depending on the size of the arch you'll need to blow up plenty of balloons! Get your family and friends prepared! Alternatively you might use a hand pump and even rent or buy an electric inflator. This investment, obviously, only makes good sense if you are planning to do a lot more balloon decorations.
A much easier way to create an air filled balloon arch is by making use of so called 'Link-o-Loon' balloons.
Balloon Columns
Placed as impressive eye-catchers at each side of an entrance or head dining table at a wedding celebration, balloon columns are great for wedding balloon decorations. They also make exceptional balloon decorations for marking out an area of your venue, for instance the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are oftentimes made of air filled balloons, supporting materials are needed:
a sturdy metal or plastic pole and
a solid base as anchor for the rod.
The balloons are secured to bunches of generally three to five balloons and fixed to the pole, layer after layer. Using bigger balloons for the top and the bottom, and smaller sized balloons in between, the balloon column takes the characteristic shape of its model in the "real" world. To crown your work you could place a stuffed giant balloon at the top of the balloon column.
Like with the air filled arch, both of these balloon decorations imply you'll will need to blow up a lot of balloons! Leasing an inflator would certainly be a really good idea, especially for blowing up the giant balloon that crowns your column.
Additionally you could fill only the balloons at the bottom with air and the rest with helium. That way you will not need a sturdy base and a pole, as the balloons click here will support themselves. Use a nylon line to connect the balloon clusters to.
If you need to have the display only for one event, a helium filled balloon column will do fine. It saves you the headache of setting up a frame and getting an inflator. On the other hand, helium costs more than air and the life-span of the balloon decorations will be much lower.