Our very simple to follow explanations will aid you determine what balloon decorations are the perfect solution for your special occasion.
We felt overwhelmed with the huge selection of displays we came across when we started off with balloon decorating. Yet along our learning process, we found out that it all come down to three fundamental designs:
Balloon Bouquet
Typically used as a centerpiece for tables, the balloon bouquet actually is the heart of a balloon display. Between two and nine balloons, connected to curling ribbons, are laid out in different heights and attached 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 almost any decorative item that is weighty enough to hold the balloons in position and where the ribbons can be attached to.
A balloon centerpiece may be made from latex OR mylar (also known as foil) balloons OR you can blend them.
As the balloons need to be helium filled this choice determines the longevity of your balloon decorations. Whereas mylar balloons will float as much as 14 days, even the highest quality latex balloons would not stay up much longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. By working with a product called 'hi-float', it's achievable to make them last 10 to 25 times as long!
Balloon Arch
Typically, balloon arches carry out their purpose best when you can go through them! So they are perfect balloon decorations for an access or exit. Commonly they are also used to frame the head or cake table at a wedding celebration or to create an incredible stage decoration.
Unlike with bouquets you get the choice between helium or air-filled balloon arch.
A floating arch is composed of single helium-filled balloons aligned like pearls throughout an invisible nylon string, hence the name "String of Pearls". The two ends are fixed to bases, similar to the table bases for bouquets, just a bit heavier and generally standing on the floor. A brick or sand filled up balloon will do the job and can easily be decorated quite nicely.
With a "String of Pearls" - frequently utilized for wedding balloon arches - you produce an incredible effect with quite little effort. The only drawback is the short longevity, due to the nature of helium-filled latex balloons, as described above.
If the decor for your exclusive occasion needs to last longer, you may either use mylar balloons in place of latex or you go for an arch with air-filled balloons.
With these types of balloon decorations, there is a little bit more constructional work involved, as an air filled balloon arch requires some supportive components:
a mounting made from a good, flexible material such as conduit, PVC piping or aluminium rod and
a strong support at either end to anchor the arch.
The pipe or rod is shaped into the actual arch and the balloons are connected to it, mostly in bunches of three to five balloons. Utilizing various colors and putting the balloons in a special way you'll get this great spiraling result presented on the photo. Do not panic, we'll explain in detail and with lots of photos how to do that!
Basing on the size of the arch you'll have to blow up plenty of balloons! Get your family and friends ready! As an alternative you could use a hand pump and even rent or buy an electric inflator. This investment, obviously, only makes sense if you are intending to do many more balloon decorations.
A much basic way to build an air filled balloon arch is by utilizing so named 'Link-o-Loon' balloons.
Balloon Column
Positioned as amazing eye-catchers at either side of an entry or head dining table at a wedding celebration, balloon columns are great for wedding balloon decorations. They also make great balloon decorations for defining an area of your wedding venue, for example the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are usually made of air filled balloons, supportive materials are required:
a strong aluminum or plastic pole and
a solid base as anchor for the rod.
The balloons are secured to clusters of normally three to five balloons and fixed to the rod, layer after layer. By using even 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 get more info crown your work you could put a stuffed giant balloon above the balloon column.
Like with the air filled arch, both of these balloon decorations mean you'll must blow up a ton of balloons! So, renting an inflator would be a very good strategy, especially for blowing up the giant balloon that crowns your column.
You could fill only the balloons at the bottom with air and the rest with helium. By doing this you would not need a sturdy base and a read more pole, as the balloons will support themselves. Make use of a nylon line to secure the decorations balloons balloon clusters to.
A helium filled balloon column will do great if you need the display only for one evening. It saves you the headache of setting up a frame and renting an inflator. However, helium costs a lot more than air and the life-span of the balloon decorations will be much smaller.