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BALLOON DECOR - NO HELIUM REQUIRED!

SKIP THE HELIUM!  AWESOME BALLOON DECORATIONS THAT DON'T REQUIRE HELIUM 

I know I was shocked at first when I learned there was a national helium shortage!?!  What? Really is that a thing, party stores across the country are out of helium?  It's true!   And there's nothing worst than thinking you're going to go and pick balloons up the day of your party to find out that your local party store is out of helium can can't fulfill your order. 

Even when helium is readily available, it can get expensive to fill a large quantity of balloons so it's great to know ways you can still get the color impact and decor of balloons without breaking the party budget and there's plenty of ways to do that!

What you should know... prior to founding Sprinkles & Confetti, I was simply a party enthusiast, I can do all of the below with no formal training, no special balloon expert classes, and no party styling background!  I know sometimes when we see the beautiful end results, we think to ourselves, I can't do that!  But I'm here to tell you - you absolutely can!  I have! 

As long as you have a little patience, some time to sit and blow up balloons, and a vision for what you want it to look like in the end you can absolutely handle any of the below projects.  I have personally tried every single one and they are completely achievable - by a busy mom, business owner, and pretty impatient female!  

BALLOON INSPIRATION!

First things first, it's good to know what type of balloon decor you're thinking of creating.  Are you trying to use balloons to add color to your party?  Build on the thematic impact of your celebration?  Or need something tabletop to really impress your guests up close and personal.  The more you know up front the easier it is to purchase the right type of balloons and supplies for your decorating project and get the right advice to save you time and money up front too! 

 

We've outlined the basics below and made all of our balloon instruction guides available for download so start getting your balloon decor plan together today! 

 

balloon garlands

All of the above were shared by moms!  Not party people!  All these moms were either hosting a great party for a friend or putting a little extra decor into their child's birthday! 

I think balloon garlands are a great way to add lot of color to your party!   You can use as many or as few colors as you desire based on where your balloon garland will be placed and the overall size you're looking to achieve.   The smallest of balloon garlands usually require at least 30 balloons and should use a min of 2 sizes, we recommend 11" latex and 5" latex balloons to keep it easy! 

Best of all - no helium required!  Simply string the balloons together and hang or knot together and tie to wall depending on your desired look.  We recommend using mirofilament clear string (buy below) to make this project come to life with a clean look. 

At Sprinkles & Confetti we offer several colors of solid latex balloons and fun mylar balloons you can fill in to get metallic, chrome, or thematic elements added to your garland!

Shop Balloons here!

Balloon arches | no helium balloons

So you know you want to make an impact with balloons, but you really don't have a place to hang a balloon garland.  The tabletop balloon arch is a great solution.   Again, you get all the impact and color of several balloons and all you need is a 6ft banquet table to attach to (kits sold here)! Larger tables can work too, but then I'd recommend buying two of the arch kits to ensure the arch can actually extend high enough for your table. 

The only thing required for this project is some pre-work time.  Most balloon arches take between 80-100 balloons depending on how many colors you want to use throughout and how big you fill each of the balloons. 

Most important tip- you need to ensure your balloons are consistently sized! In order to help with that you can use a fancy balloon size guide box like the one below available on Amazon or you can easily make your own by cutting a hole in an old shipping box and then using that as your guide. 

 

Balloon centerpieces work to bring decor to your table without the height or investment of a balloon arch.  Whether you're making a table runner or building a balloon centerpiece you'll likely use small 5" latex balloons or not fill your 11" latex balloons completely.   Add other figurine balloons, plants, or thematic decor to your balloons to create dimension, texture and style to your tabletop decor.

 

 

THINGS TO CONSIDER...BEFORE YOU BEGIN 

1.  This project doesn't all have to happen the day of the party - matter of fact we recommend it doesn't!   Balloons that don't require helium can be blown up a few days in advance so you can blow up, knot, tie and prep all your balloon decor a night or two before the party have it ready to assemble. 

2.  Transporting air filled balloons is relatively easy - use large garbage bags and group them together by color so they are easy to setup when you arrive at the party site 

3.  A small investment in the right tools can make the project go from flawed to fabulous!

 AIr fill balloon hand pump | Qualatex balloon pump Microfilament String   

 

 

Parties Made Simple.

   Jackie  

@sprinkles_and_confetti 

 

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Comments

Jennifer Digiacomo - September 9, 2019

These are such wonderful suggestions as helium can be in short supply! I’d never thought of using balloons as a table runner / centerpiece and I LOVE that idea! Thank you!

Bri - August 14, 2019

I’ve been gathering non-helium balloon ideas all summer and there are a few here I hadn’t seen. I actually worked in a shop and made balloon creations in high school so I can second the recommendation to get the right tools. Makes everything SO much easier.

Beth - August 14, 2019

This post is truly inspiring! After reading this, I really feel like I can make a balloon centerpiece!

Holly Hulke - August 14, 2019

I hadn’t even thought about a sizing tool! Smart!!

Nathalie - Press Print Party! - August 5, 2019

Helium is so expensive. I’ve learned to make garlands and I love it..

Lori - August 5, 2019

I have never seen a guide box for balloons! That is brilliant!!!

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