Become a Balloon Decorator

So you’ve been to a bunch of parties and special events, looked around, and noticed those specially decorated balloons in the shape of a Balloon Column, Balloon Arch or maybe a Balloon Centerpiece, and thought to yourself, “I wanna do that!”.

Today’s your lucky day! In just 3 simple steps, we’ll show you how you can take the first steps to become a fabulous Balloon Decorator that will create stunning balloon décor and installations. Ready? Let’s start.

Step 1: Know the Top 3 “Go To” Designs

The Balloon Column (a Must): 

Balloon Columns are elegant column structures that are typically created by inflating a series of Air FIlled 9″ or 12″ Latex Balloons around a Balloon Column Base Plate / Metal Pole. On top, you can add a jumbo 30″ or 36″ Latex Balloon to top it off for a festive look.

Balloon Columns are great for Entrances to Events, New Movie Premiers, Grand Openings, Quinceañeras, Indoor / Outdoor Events and more.

The Balloon Arch (a True Classic):

Balloon Arches are Helium-filled Latex Balloon Arches are created by making duplets of 2 latex balloons tied together, and wrapping them together along a stretched out metal wire frame (or using a balloon arch kit) to create a pattern that resembles a floating arch. The duplets are typically tied together to form a cluster of 4 balloons. The ends of the arch (wire) is securely held by either a sandbag, cement block, or another water-based storage container. The balloons are tied to the wire by another piece of wire or are just tied around the wire.

Balloon Arches are great for School Dances, Sports Races / Marathons, Grand Openings, and even Non-Profit Events.

Balloon Installation (Let’s get whimsical):

Balloon Installations are those amazing, artsy looking balloon clusters that seem to magically attach to outdoor or indoor walls, and have the appearance of magical bubbles of different sizes and colors – very whimsical! To make these, you simply source a few different size balloons in different colors — (5″, 9″, 12″, 36″). You then inflate the balloons, and make duplets (2 balloons tied together), and use a low temp glue gun to stick the balloons together. This is where you can get really creative! Make any shape you want, so long as they are all glued together and travel in a whimsical direction. Then attach to any wall (indoor or outdoor), for a fabulous, and totally professional look!

Balloon Installations are perfect for New Store Openings, Tradeshows, Product Launch Parties, Museum Exhibitions, Indoor or Outdoor Music Concerts, Sports Games, Special Birthday Parties and Corporate Events! 

Step 2: Get the Gear

1. Latex Balloons – this should be obvious, but picking the right sizes depends on what job you’re seeking to complete. We love 5″ Latex Balloons for air fillable centerpieces and adding accent pieces to jobs. We also love 9″ Latex Balloons and 12″ Latex Balloons for doing the mainstays of Balloon Décor – Columns, Arches, Installations, Centerpieces, Garlands, etc. Also, pick up a few packs of Jumbos – like these 24″ Latex Balloons, 30″ Latex Balloons or 36″ Latex Balloons, as these are great for both indoor/outdoor events for a totally eye-catching look.
2. Get the right Inflator. Some balloon decorations require an Air Inflator, and you’ll always need a Hand Pump Inflator for inflating balloons here and there, but for the bigger jobs, we love the Conwin Air Pro Electric Inflator or the Conwin Air Force 4 Balloon Inflator (this bad boy inflates 4 balloons at one time!). For starters, you won’t need to get into the more powerful digital sizers (those can come later when you’re looking to digitally size each balloon to the same size every time – which is a must for when you have multiple jobs).
3. Rent a Helium Tank – while we don’t sell filled Helium tanks, you can always pick this up locally wherever you are. Just search Google for Helium Tank Rental + your city and results for local sources will show up. Some Helium rental companies just provide the tank filled, with no Inflator Nozzle, so here’s a few options that we recommend like the Conwin Economy Inflator (with Helium Gauge) so you know how much gas is left in your tank, or the Conwin Precision Plus Inflator. 

Step 3: Get the Client(s)

This may seem like a hard thing, but so many events just get better when you add Balloons! By letting local offices, companies, special events and schools know that you’re “Open for Business”, you’re be getting calls and emails in no time. Hand out your business card and website URL, and you’ll be lining up new clients within weeks. Now you’ve graduated from Balloon Decorating 101! Happy Decorating 🙂