Our quick and easy to follow explanations will aid you make up your mind what balloon decorations are the right choice for your special occasion.
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
Generally used as a main feature for tables, the balloon bouquet really is the heart of a balloon display. Between two and nine balloons, linked to twisting ribbons, are arranged in various heights and secured to a table base.
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 won't stay 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 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 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 amazing result with reasonably little effort. The only problem is the short lifespan, due to the nature check here of helium-filled latex balloons, as discussed above.
If the decoration for your unique party needs to last a lot longer, you may either work with mylar balloons in place of latex or you choose an arch with air-filled balloons.
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 components:
a mounting crafted from a good, flexible material like conduit, PVC piping or aluminium pole and
a sturdy base at either end to anchor the arch.
The conduit or rod is shaped into the actual arch and the balloons are attached to it, mainly in bunches of three to five balloons. By utilizing various colors and placing the balloons in an unique way you'll get this great spiraling result presented on the photo. Do not worry, we'll describe 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, obviously, only makes sense if you are intending to do many more balloon decorations.
A much less complex way to design an air filled balloon arch is by using so named 'Link-o-Loon' balloons.
Balloon Columns
Positioned as superb eye-catchers at each side of an entryway or head dining table at a wedding ceremony, balloon columns are excellent for wedding balloon decorations. They also make wonderful balloon decorations for defining an area of your wedding venue, for instance the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are often crafted from air filled balloons, supportive elements are needed:
a strong metal or plastic pole and
a sturdy base as anchor for the stick.
The balloons are secured to bundles of generally three to five balloons and fixed to the rod, layer after layer. Using larger sized balloons for the top and the bottom, and smaller balloons in between, the balloon column takes the characteristic contour of its model in the "real" world. To crown your work you could place a stuffed giant balloon on top of the balloon column.
Like with the air filled arch, both of these balloon decorations mean you'll will need to blow up a ton of balloons! Renting an inflator would be a good idea, especially for blowing up the giant balloon that crowns your column.
As an alternative you may fill just the balloons at the bottom with air and the rest with helium. That way you won't need a strong base and a pole, as the balloons will support themselves. Use a nylon line to attach the balloon bunches to.
A helium filled balloon column are going to do fine if you need the display solely for one evening. It saves you the headache 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.