Our simple to follow explanations will assist you make up your mind what balloon decorations are the most ideal choice for your special occasion.
We felt overwhelmed with the huge range of displays we came across when we started off with balloon decorating. Along our studying process, we figured out that it all boils down to three primary designs:
Balloon Bouquet
Mostly used as a centerpiece for desks, the balloon bouquet truly is the heart of a balloon display. Between two and nine balloons, linked to twisting stripes, are arranged in different heights and secured to a table support.
A balloon centerpiece can be made from latex OR mylar (also called foil) balloons OR you can blend them.
As the balloons need to be helium filled this choice determines the life expectancy of your balloon decorations. Whereas mylar balloons will float approximately 14 days, even the highest quality latex balloons will not stay up much longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. By working with a product called 'hi-float', it's feasible 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! They are best 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 an incredible stage decoration.
Unlike with bouquets you have the choice between helium or air-filled balloon arch.
A floating arch is made of single helium-filled balloons arranged like pearls throughout an unnoticeable nylon string, hence the name "String of Pearls". Both ends are fixed to bases, very similar to the table bases for bouquets, just a bit heavier and often basing 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, because 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 website air-filled balloons if the decor for your special event should last much longer.
However, with these kinds of balloon decorations, there is a little bit more constructional work required, as an air filled balloon arch needs to have a couple of supportive components:
a frame made of a strong, flexible material such as conduit, PVC pipe or aluminium rod and
a strong foundation at either end to secure the arch.
The pipe or rod is formed into the actual arch and the balloons are connected to it, usually in sets of three to five balloons. Utilizing a variety of colors and putting the balloons in a specific way you'll get this wonderful spiraling result displayed on the photo. Do not worry, we'll describe in detail and with numbers of photos how to do that!
Depending on the size of the arch you'll have to blow up quite a few balloons! This investment, 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 utilizing 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, for example the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are typically made of air filled balloons, supportive materials are required:
a sturdy aluminum or plastic pole and
a stable base as support for the rod.
The balloons are connected to bunches of normally three to five balloons and fixed to the pole, layer after layer. By utilizing larger balloons for the bottom and the top, and smaller 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 above the balloon column.
Like with the air filled arch, the two of these balloon decorations imply you'll must blow up a great deal of balloons! Getting an inflator would certainly be a pretty good idea, specially for blowing up the giant balloon that crowns your column.
Additionally you might fill only the balloons at the bottom with air and the rest with helium. That way you would not need a stable base and a pole, as the balloons are going to support themselves. Make use of a nylon line to connect the balloon clusters to.
If you need the display specifically for one party, a helium filled balloon column will do fine. It saves you the trouble of building a frame and getting an inflator. Yet, helium costs a lot more than air and the life expectancy of the balloon decorations will be much shorter.