Our very simple to follow descriptions will allow you make a decision what balloon decors are the perfect option for your special party.
Once we started with balloon design, we felt confused with the huge selection of displays we saw. Yet along our learning process, we figured out that everything come down to three basic styles:
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 instances under the base is either a weighted flower basket or a sand-filled balloon. It can be essentially any decorative item that is heavy 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 around 14 days, even the highest quality latex balloons will not keep up much longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. But, 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 ideal balloon decorations for an entrance or exit. Usually they are also utilized to frame the head or cake table at a wedding or to create a magnificent stage decor.
Unlike with bouquets you get the choice between helium or air-filled balloon arch.
A hovering arch is made of single helium-filled balloons aligned like pearls along an unnoticeable 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 usually 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" - quite often utilized for wedding balloon arches - you create an amazing result with reasonably little effort. The only downside is the short longevity, as a result of the nature of helium-filled latex balloons, as explained above.
You could either use mylar balloons in place of latex or you go for an arch with air-filled balloons if the decorations for your specific event should last longer.
With these options of balloon decorations, there is a little more constructional labor required, as an air filled balloon arch needs to have some supportive elements:
a frame made of a solid, flexible material such as conduit, PVC pipe or aluminium rod and
a strong 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, 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 lots of photos how to do that!
Depending on the size of the arch you'll have to blow up quite a few balloons! So, get your family and friends ready! Alternatively you could use a hand pump or even rent or buy an electrical inflator. This investment, of course, only makes sense if you are planning to do many more balloon decorations.
A much basic way to make an air filled balloon arch is by making use of so called 'Link-o-Loon' balloons.
Balloon Columns
Placed as excellent eye-catchers at either side of an entryway or head table at a wedding celebration, balloon columns are perfect for wedding balloon decorations. They also make excellent balloon decorations for marking out here an area of your venue, for example the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are frequently made of air filled balloons, supportive elements are needed:
a sturdy aluminum or plastic pole and
a stable base as support for the rod.
The balloons are linked to bunches of typically three to five balloons and fixed to the pole, layer after layer. By using 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, each of these balloon decorations imply you'll need to blow up a great deal of balloons! So, renting an inflator would be a great idea, specifically for blowing up the huge 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 would not need a strong base and a pole, as the balloons will support themselves. Use a nylon line to attach the balloon bunches to.
If you need to have the display simply for one event, a helium filled balloon column will do fine. It saves you the struggle of setting up a frame and leasing an inflator. However, helium costs much more than air and the lifespan of the balloon decorations will be much smaller.