You have decided to throw a party, how exciting! All the details are dialed in but suddenly you realize you don’t have any decorations. Where do you begin? It’s your lucky day! you just so happen to be reading the perfect guide to executing a beautiful do-it-yourself decoration that is sure to impress your most discerning guests. Balloon garlands are the perfect decoration choice for any party because they fill a space beautifully and add whimsy to your decor no matter theme.
Here is what you will need:
Balloons- 12 inch and a couple 36 inch, you are going to need quite a few. I used around 150 for an 8 feet garland
Ribbon -the length of the space you want to decorate plus enough to tie a loop on either end
String or Yarn -for tying loops to the balloons it won’t be seen so any color will do.
Alternatively this balloon strip works well and is made specifically for building balloon garlands, I find it helpful and faster than the string and loop method but your garland will be less flexible.
Hand tying tool– this will save your fingers!
Wall hooks-for hanging your Garland!
Regardless of which method you choose string or balloon strip, your first step is to blow up just enough balloons to equal the length of the space you are decorating. Be sure to blow up a variety of sizes. Uniformity is NOT the goal here, having different sizes is prettier and more interesting to look at.
If you chose the balloon strip, after each balloon is blown up and tied pop the knotted end through the hole on the strip. Super simple! the balloon strip is great but it fills up fast and is not very flexible. If you chose the string and loop method (pictured above) first take your 1 inch wide ribbon and tie a loop (you will use this loop for hanging later) at one end and attach it to a chair. After each balloon is blown up and tied shut take a short piece of string or yarn and tie a knot around the mouth of the balloon then tie the ends off to make a loop. Slide each balloon with it’s string loop down the ribbon. I like to wrap the other end of the ribbon around another chair to keep the balloons off the ground, also having the garland strung between 2 chairs keeps you from getting tangled.
Be sure to add your 36 inch balloons too. Be a little strategic about their placement you don’t want them to be too close to each other.
HOORAY it is time to hang your garland! When you are happy with the length of your garland and your hooks are on the wall (place your hooks 2 to 3 feet apart) take it to the space you are decorating. Place the loop you tied at the end of the ribbon onto the first hook. Take the ribbon at the end of your garland and tie a loop or wrap it around the last hook -I like to leave some extra ribbon in case I need to make adjustments. Now reach in where your other hooks are and tie loops with your string or yarn to attach the garland to those hooks -this can feel tricky but it is OK you can’t mess it up!
At this point you need to fill-in any bare spots by adding small balloons. This is where you can get creative! I stick a glue dot to a deflated balloon and then blow it up so it is just big enough to be round. Stick 3 together to make a small cluster and push it into the garland – you should be able to push it in without any glue dots but you can add glue dots if you need.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE DONE! I hope you had fun making your balloon garland!
