It's amazing how quickly a room can become more festive by simply adding balloons! Balloons can be used in an arch, a column hanging from the ceiling... use your imagination (and the unique features of the party room) and balloons can add atmosphere to any event.

Directions for making a balloonarch...

Hang balloons in bunches. If filling the balloons with helium, wait to fill them until the day of the party to ensure they float well. Attach the balloons to light fixtures, hang them in doorways. Tie balloons together with colorful curling ribbon, and curl the ends.

Hang balloons on the mailbox; arrange balloons as decorations at the entrance; or you can tie the balloons to the birthday child's chair.

Garlands – Using air-filled balloons, attach clusters of balloons to a nylon line. When the garlands are desired length, string between the corners of the ceiling, allowing them to drape evenly on all sides of the room.

Shapes – Aluminum rod is the best frame for shaped balloon decorations because it is flexible. Fashion the rod into a heart, number, or other shape before attaching clusters of air-filled balloons.

Columns – Attach clusters of helium balloons to a nylon line and tie down one end. Or, use balloons filled with air and attach them to a vertical frame anchored on a sturdy base.

Helium-filled decorations

A simple table decoration is easy to make with helium balloons, either all latex or a mixture of Mylar and latex. Anchor the bunch to the table with a safety pin in the cloth or with a small wooden block covered in decorative paper.

Do not forget that latex helium balloons only stay afloat for about eight hours. So do this on the morning of the party.

For all these decorations it is best if all the balloons are the same size. To achieve this cut out a cardboard template and check the size each time you inflate a balloon.

The simple "paperclip" arch is easy to make with helium filled balloons. Either latex or Mylar balloons can be used. Obtain some tough fishing line and attach either end to a brick wrapped in silver paper or to a table leg or stair rail if one is handy. Attach the balloons with paperclips at one foot intervals along the line (if you are experienced you can tie them directly onto the line as you fill them. Adjust the spacing of the balloons and the tension in the line to get the upwards curve you require.

Still using your fishing line and paperclips you can move on to the spiral arch. This is made of groups of four helium balloons fastened together by paperclips and threaded onto the line like pearls on a necklace. You will need heavy weights wrapped in paper to secure each end of the arch. Try using a five liter plastic container filled with sand.

Pierce the necks of the inflated balloons with the end of the paperclip until you have all four balloons hooked on, Then hook the paperclip over the fishing line and push the cluster of balloons up against its neighbor. alternating colors give the swirl effect.

Air-Filled decorations

These have the advantage that they can be prepared one or two days before. Not too long before, the balloons tend to attract dust and one or two may burst.

A simple cluster can be affixed to a lamp bracket or tied up high near the ceiling with fishing line.

You can gather the balloons together with paperclips as described above.

Spiral garlands using air-filled balloons are made in the same way as the helium spiral arch described above. They are of course non-floating and have to be hung downwards from the ceiling.

A balloon heart can be made using a wire frame and five-inch air filled balloons. The frame can be made of thin steel or aluminum wire like that used for coat-hangers. The inflated five -inch balloons are gathered into groups or three or four and twisted around the wire. Once they are pushed up tight together the effect is very attractive.

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