Do you use helium in a balloon garland? The Ultimate Guide 

As a party planning enthusiast, I understand that the right decor can make all the difference in creating a memorable event.

Balloon garlands have become increasingly popular over the years by taking the humble balloon and turning them into stylish balloon decorations that really give the wow factor to your party space, But if you’re new to the world of balloon garlands, you may be wondering if there’s a secret ingredient that you’re missing.

Don’t worry, I will break down the process for you to create a stunning balloon garland for your next event. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the benefits, materials needed, color scheme advice, and step-by-step instructions for creating diy balloon garlands.

Be sure to check out the top-rated balloon garland kits that I recommend over in my store, these have been vetted by myself to ensure they will give you perfect balloon arches every time. Party glow up is part of the Amazon affiliate program, which means if you purchase an item using one of my affiliate links I may make a small percentage at no extra cost to you.

Let’s get started!

Benefits of Creating DIY Balloon Garlands – Do I need helium to make one?

Using helium-filled balloons for decorations can be expensive. Latex helium balloons tend to deflate within 6-8 hours, which means you’ll need to fill them up just before your event for the best results. Helium has shot up in price due to a shortage and a small helium canister only inflates around 25 10-inch balloons. Foil balloons last a lot longer around 10 days when filled with helium.

The good news Balloon garlands are made using air-filled balloons, no helium is required to make one, they are the perfect way to elevate your party space which makes them great cost-effective party decorations. You can create them ahead of time, up to a couple of days before the special event but ideally, the day before to keep the garland looking its best and save you precious time on the day of the event.

Check out my post How Long do Balloon garlands last? which explains this further and my top tips to help prolong the longevity of the balloons.

Once you have mastered a method to make one you can make a balloon garland in under an hour.

 

Basic Materials Required for Creating Balloon Garlands

There are a few ways to make a balloon garland, I’ll break down what you need for each method. The last method is a really simple way to make your own balloon garland. A good balloon garland has balloons in different sizes, the spine of the balloon garland is made using standard 10-11 inch balloons then larger balloons and smaller balloons are added for depth and variation to your garland giving it a more professional look.

The size of the garland you would like to make determines the number of balloons needed, I have a handy guide How many balloons do I need for a balloon garland? which helps you to work out the size of the garland you would like to make and has a handy balloon garland calculation to help you work out how many balloons you need.

Once your garland is finished you can incorporate flowers, sprigs of greenery or a string of pearls into the design.

To create a balloon garland using balloon strips, you’ll need the following materials:

1. Balloons (of various sizes)
2. Electric balloon pump or hand pump
3. Balloon strip/Balloon tape
4. Glue dots
5. Scissors
6. Command hooks or other hanging mechanisms

To create a balloon garland using Fishing wire, you’ll need the following materials:

1. Balloons (of various sizes)
2. Electric pump or hand pump
3. Balloon ribbon or fishing wire
4. Glue dots
5. Scissors
6. Command hooks or other hanging mechanisms

To create a balloon garland THE EASIEST WAY my personal preference, you’ll need the following materials:

1. Balloons (of various sizes)
2. pump or hand pump
3. Command hooks or other hanging mechanisms

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Stunning Balloon Garlands the easy way

 

Using Balloon Strip for Creating Balloon Garlands

Cut the length of balloon strip to the desired size of your garland .

Inflate your balloons to various sizes and tie them off.

Insert the knotted end of each balloon into a hole in the balloon strip.

Repeat until the balloon strip is full.

Add mini balloons using glue dots

Attach your garland to a command hook or other hanging mechanism.

 

Using Fishing for Creating Balloon Garlands

Cut the length of the fishing line to the desired size of your garland.

Inflate your balloons to various sizes and tie them off into pairs

Wrap the fishing wire round the pair of balloons in a figure of 8

Repeat until the fishing line is full.

Add mini balloons with glue dots

Attach your garland to a command hook or other hanging mechanism.

 

Using the EASIEST WAY for creating a balloon garland

Inflate your balloons and tie them off into pairs

Make a cluster by twisting 3 pairs together

Tie the neck of a balloon together with a neck of a balloon from the second cluster

Repeat until you have tied all clusters together

Add mini balloons by tying them on to the garland using the necks

Attach your garland to a command hook or other hanging mechanism.

Here is a tutorial I made using this method. How to make a balloon garland without wire

Using a Balloon Garland Kit for Creating Balloon Garland

If you want the ease of purchasing everything together, a good idea is to purchase a balloon garland kit. These kits come with everything you need to create a stunning garland by using any of the methods mentioned above they include different size balloons, plastic strip & glue dots. Simply follow the instructions included in the kit or my tutorial. You can shop my top-rated balloon garland kit finds.

Balloon inflators would need to be purchased separately and I recommend you purchase both types to make blowing up your balloons a breeze.

Balloon garland kits

To shop my range of recommended balloon garland kits Click Here

Tips for Choosing the Right Color Scheme for Your Balloon Garland

The color scheme of your balloon garland can set the tone for your entire event. When choosing colors, consider the occasion and if you have a party theme.

For a baby shower or first birthday party, pastel colors such as pink, blue, and yellow work well also neutral colors are bang on trend for babies & younger children. A rainbow theme incorporating a rainbow balloon garland is also a very popular choice for this also safari, peter rabbit, boho themes are a popular choice.

For a party with a theme, choose colors that will complement your other decorations. Or when in doubt, check out Pinterest for some amazing party inspiration.

Darker color schemes are popular for males black, navy, and grey including metallic tones of silver or gold balloons work really well.

A feminine color palette is perfect for ladies including beautiful tones of peach, pink, ivory whimsical colors.

I like to always use two or more colors throughout the garland and to incorporate accent colours in metallic either by using chrome balloons in silver, gold, rose gold or confetti balloons with foil confetti to break up the blocks of color.

Balloon Garlands – How to style them

Balloon garlands can be used for a variety of occasions, they are so versatile.

Here are a few ideas of how people use stylish balloon garlands at events

Welcome sign

Backdrops

Balloon hoops

Table runners

staircase

outdoors

Other helium-free ideas for Decorating Your Party

If you want to avoid helium altogether, there are other options for party decor. Here are a few ideas: –

Helium-free balloon bouquets using a stand

balloon columns

balloon columns with attached numbers or jumbo balloon

Paper lanterns 

Tissue paper pom poms 

Bunting flags 

Fabric garlands

banners

Conclusion

Creating a balloon garland is not only super easy, it’s also one of the cheapest and most effective DIY projects you can choose to make for your next party by using air-filled latex balloons. In fact, a few simple steps and you can have that DIY project done within the hour!

When you’re finished, you will be hooked and want to create these for all kinds of events including baby showers, birthday parties, corporate events, proms, or engagement party.

if this is your first balloon arch or you are a balloon artist I hope you’ll find this guide helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.