Our quick and easy to follow explanations will assist 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 range of displays we came upon. Yet along our learning process, we figured out that everything come down to three basic styles:
Balloon Bouquet
Normally 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 below the base is either a weighted flower gift basket or a sand-filled balloon. Yet it may be practically any decorative material that is heavy enough to maintain the balloons in place and where the ribbons may be tied to.
A balloon centerpiece can be made of latex OR mylar (also called foil) balloons OR you can blend them.
As the balloons have to be helium filled this choice determines the life expectancy of your balloon decorations. Whereas mylar balloons will float as much as 14 days, even the best quality latex balloons won't stay up longer than for about 12 to 24 hours. Having said that, utilizing a product called 'hi-float', it's possible to make them last 10 to 25 times as long!
Balloon Arch
Generally, balloon arches fulfill their function best when you can go through them! So they are excellent balloon decorations for an access or exit. Commonly they are also utilized to frame the head or cake table at a wedding celebration or to create a spectacular stage decoration.
Unlike with bouquets you get 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 usually standing on the floor. A brick or sand filled balloon will do the job and can easily be decorated quite nicely.
With a "String of Pearls" - oftentimes utilized for wedding balloon arches - you create an amazing result with fairly little effort. The only downside is the short longevity, as a result of the nature of helium-filled latex balloons, as described above.
You could either use mylar balloons instead of latex or you go for an arch with air-filled balloons if the decor for your special occasion should last a lot longer.
With these types of balloon decorations, there is a bit more constructional work involved, as an air filled balloon arch requires some supportive components:
a structure constructed from a sturdy, flexible material like conduit, PVC piping or aluminium pole and
a stable 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 clusters of three to five balloons. By utilizing various colors and placing the balloons in an unique way you'll get this good spiraling effect presented on the photo. Do not worry, we'll describe in detail and with numbers of photos how to do that!
Depending upon the size of the arch you'll need to blow up plenty of balloons! So, get your friends and family ready! As an alternative you can use a hand pump or maybe rent or buy an electric pump. This investment, obviously, only makes good sense if you are considering to do much more balloon decorations.
A much less complex way to design an air filled balloon arch is by making use of 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 venue, for instance the dance floor or the stage decoration.
As columns are generally made from air filled balloons, supportive elements are needed:
a strong metal or plastic pole and
a sturdy base as support 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 imply you'll will need to blow up a ton of balloons! Renting an inflator would be a good idea, in particular for blowing up the giant balloon that crowns your column.
You could fill get more info only the balloons at the bottom with air and the rest with helium. That way you won't need a sturdy base and a pole, as the balloons are going to support themselves. Work with a nylon line to affix the balloon clusters to.
If you need the display just for one evening, a helium filled balloon column will do fine. It saves you the trouble of constructing a frame and renting an inflator. Yet, helium costs more air and the life-span of the balloon decorations will be much lower.