Our easy to follow explanations will help you figure out what balloon decors are the best pick for your special event.
When we kicked off with balloon decorating, we felt overwhelmed with the massive variety of displays we discovered. Yet along our learning process, we understood that it all boils down to three simple concepts:
Balloon Bouquet
Mainly used as a centerpiece for dinner tables, the balloon bouquet truly is the heart of a balloon display. Between two and nine balloons, tied to curling ribbons, are organized in various heights and attached to a table bottom.
A balloon centerpiece may be crafted from latex OR mylar (also known as foil) balloons OR you can combine them.
As the balloons must be helium filled this choice determines the longevity of your balloon decorations. Whereas mylar balloons will float around 14 days, even the finest latex balloons will not keep up much longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. However, by using a product called 'hi-float', it's possible to make them survive 10 to 25 times as long!
Balloon Arch
Typically, balloon arches carry out their objective best when you can go through them! So they are perfect balloon decorations for a doorway or exit. Often they are also used to frame the head or cake table at a wedding event or to design a spectacular stage decoration.
Unlike with bouquets you have 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 line, 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" - oftentimes 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.
You could either use mylar balloons in place of latex or you go for an arch with air-filled balloons if the decor for your special event should last much longer.
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 get more info 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 sets of three to five balloons. Utilizing 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 in detail and with numbers of photos how to do that!
Basing on the size of the arch you'll have to blow up quite a few balloons! This purchase, of course, only makes sense if you are preparing to do many more balloon decorations.
A much easier way to create an air filled balloon arch is by using so called 'Link-o-Loon' balloons.
Balloon Column
Placed as outstanding eye-catchers at either side of an entrance or head table at a wedding event, balloon columns are ideal for wedding balloon decorations. They also make great balloon decorations for marking out an area of your venue, as an example the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are commonly composed of air filled balloons, supporting materials are required:
a sturdy aluminum or plastic pole and
a stable base as anchor for the rod.
The balloons are connected to clusters of typically three to five balloons and fixed to the pole, layer after layer. By using bigger balloons for the bottom and the top, and smaller sized balloons in between, the balloon column takes the characteristic look of its model in the "real" world. To crown your work you could position a stuffed giant balloon at the top of the balloon column.
Like with the air filled arch, each of these balloon decorations mean you'll need to blow up a great deal of balloons! Leasing an inflator would be a really good idea, 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. By doing this you will not need a strong base and a pole, as the balloons will support themselves. Use a nylon line to secure the balloon bunches to.
If you need to have the display simply for one night, 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.