Balloons are such happy things. You know that there is a party inside when you see them set out in front of a house.While anyone can tie a few balloons together with a little bit of effort you can make something spectacular.
A balloon arch above your doorway will really wow your guests and whether it is for a birthday party or a home coming it will set a festive mood.
To make this arch I started with a metal rod.
You need a metal rod that is sturdy but will still bend somewhat. I used an old curtain i-beam. You can easily find these in decorating stores, hardware stores and even thrift stores. 
Measure the width of the area that you want the balloon arch to go. Your rod should be several inches longer than this width. If you can put the metal rod up to the area and see how much of an arch you want by gently bending it. Mark on the rod with marker where it needs to be cut. It is the tension of the rod that will keep it in place.
As I was placing this against a brick wall I just put the rod end in the mortar joint on one end, bent the rod gently while placing it in a mortar joint on the other end and it stayed in place. Do not place the rod too high up as you will want balloons above and below the rod. If you are doing this against a wood or concrete house you will have to be careful not to damage the wall. A tension rod might be a better solution.
Once the rod is in place measure out how long it is and cut a piece of curling ribbon 2 feet longer than what you need. You will be tying your balloons on the curling ribbon and then taping this to the rod.
It is easy to blow up your balloon and just tie it to the curling ribbon. I use curling ribbon because it is very strong but will not cut into the balloons. Do not over blow your balloons, if you are putting them out in the heat of the day they will expand more, so blow them up and then let out some air.
I just used regular scotch tape to attach the ribbon of balloons to the metal rod.
Very careful even the balloons out so there will be an equal amount above and below the rod.
This will make the arch look full. I used a variety of balloons that I had left over from about 15 years of parties (I decorate with balloons a lot). The older the balloon the more fragile they are and I had a few poppers.
You should install your balloon an hour or two before your event so they will stay fresh and full.
By the next morning my balloons where still looking good but had shrunk a fair bit.
My arch was about 7 feet long and I used 45 balloons. I also decorated the rest of the outside with balloon flowers ( 5 balloons on curling ribbon and twisted together).
The total time it took me to do all of this was about 2 hours, but I was not rushing. If you have more than one person blowing up the balloons and helping you tie them on the ribbon it will go much faster.
Using balloon to decorate for a party is an inexpensive and fast way to get a lot of bang for your buck.
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Copyright Ingrid Talpak 2012
Morestylethancash
Morestylethancash
You have the coolest website. Thanks for all the great tips!
Thanks Diana! You've made my day!
This is so professional looking! I'm excited to make one... one day! I hope you'll link this up at my new link party:
http://naptimedelights.blogspot.ca/2012/05/tuesdays-tidbits-2.html
Thanks! Sarah
{www.naptimedelights.blogspot.com}
That is one amazing arch of balloons. I love this and I think our readers will do also. I would like to invite you to come link it up at our linky party: http://www.finecraftguild.com/party/