Helping you celebrate every day colorfully. My mission? To make party-throwing a piece of cake!
Published on October 5, 2018 | Last Updated on December 1, 2021
I am officially the boy who cried wolf when it comes to this balloon garland tutorial! I am sorry to keep so many of you waiting so long but life has been crazy the last couple months. I haven’t shared content as much as I’d like while I’m trying to figure out how many projects are too many with Piper. Trying to get into my new normal as been more difficult than I thought. But I’ll share more about that later and get to the good stuff! I’ll do my best to answer the questions you have but you can also leave a comment below and I’ll reply as quickly as possible. If you’re a visual person, you can watch a brief tutorial saved under the balloon highlight on Instagram.
First things first, the materials. I use Qualatex balloons every time. I think they last the longest and are more durable. Plus they have a matte finish that I really like! But I’ve used balloons from every store that sells them so it just depends what is easiest for you. You can also buy on Amazon!
Blow up your balloons using the balloon pump. I like to alternate colors and sizes. You can start by inflating a dozen or so in the main color, then a handful in the other colors. You can see some examples below! Don’t worry about all the balloons being the same size, I love the variation.
Take your tape and insert the balloons in every other hole. There are big holes and smaller holes, I use the smaller ones so it’s really secure. Add a balloon going up, and going down. The alternating helps give the balloon garland some motion. Don’t worry about alternating colors or anything. It might look a little weird at first but I promise once it’s 4-5 feet long it will start taking shape!
Balloon garlands are a DIY project and can be made to fit any color combination. Here is a list of color combinations:
The easiest way to hang your balloon garland is to thread string or fishing line through one of the empty holes creating a large loop. Then hook the loop on a command hook, push pin or use tape. Once it’s secured in 2-3 places you can adjust some of the balloons to create more motion. I typically like all the giant round balloons towards the front to they can be seen.
UPDATED 10/9: I received some questions about how far in advance you can inflate the balloons. You can blow them up 1-2 days before and keep the garland indoors (the heat causes them to shrink) until your party. A lot of the balloons will stay inflated much longer but they will look the best this way!
If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some of my favorite balloon garlands from the last couple years!
A balloon garland can typically last several days if given care. It is best to store the garland flat in a cool, dry place; if it is not stored correctly balloons will pop.
How long a balloon garland will last depends on how many balloons are used and what color they are. For best results, it is also recommended that you make the garland at least 12″ longer than where it will be hung so that the ends can be weighted down. If the garland is too short then balloons will pop and the garland will fall.
Balloon garlands typically do not need helium in order to stay in place and look good. These types of balloon decorations can be made at home and will last several days when given care. Balloon arches are best for one-time use or short-term display but balloon garlands work great for both these situations and much more.
How far ahead of an event can you make this? How long do they last? Great tutorial!
Thank you!! You can inflate the balloons 1-2 days before as long as you keep them indoors. A lot of them will stay inflated for longer but they will look best when inflated less than 3 days!
Great post! I can’t wait to make balloon garland for my daughter’s 1st birthday in a month.
For the balloon garland with the flowers, are those live flowers? How did you attach those?
Thanks!
Do you ever add in balloons after you’re done alternating with the tape? If so, how do you stick them in?
Hi!! I just Made one of these for my daughters 1st birthday party tomorrow!! It took about 1.5 hours for a 100 balloon garland (mind you my daughter was awake so some time was given to keeping an eye on her). I cannnot wait to hang it!! I had Been overwhelmed all week with the thought of doing this but it was so simple. Also saved $200+ doing it myself rather than hiring someone. Thank you!!
Hi I saw some balloon are “Tiffany” color, is that turquoise color or light blue? I love your works! So amazing!
it’s turquoise and thank you!!
[…] the balloons garlands myself with the help of my mom. You can find all the supplies and tutorial here! We secured the balloon garlands to the fence using twine and a nail. We tried to use command hooks […]
[…] can follow my basic balloon garland tutorial but instead of using big balloons you’ll stick with the 5″, 9″ and 11″. The […]
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