Chances are, you have seen a balloon installation at least once either online or in person. While they look super intimidating to attempt, they are really quite simple once you know how. I started making a few small balloon installs a little over a year ago for fun. In the last few months, I have transitioned to creating larger installs for parties and events here in Austin. Since I can’t be everywhere though, I wanted to share how you can easily make a balloon garland for your front door for your next party or book club meeting.
For this garland, I went with a fresh citrus theme that matched perfectly with the coral front door of my friend, Katie Kime. But you can easily change up the colors and scale to fit your theme.
Materials:
-latex balloons in a variety of sizes and colors to match your theme (I tend to use Qualatex brand because the latex is thicker and the balloons hold up better in the garlands)
–low temp glue gun
–balloon pump
–outdoor rated mounting hooks
-ribbon or string
-crepe paper leaves (optional for lemons)
Step 1: Blow up your first balloon and tie like normal. Then blow up a second balloon and tie the knot around the knot of the first balloon to combine them. Repeat with the third and fourth balloon until you have a cluster of four balloons all tied together. Feel free to use an assortment of colors and sizes of balloons to get an organic look to your garland.
Step 2: Repeat to create at least 20-30 clusters of balloons all with an assortment of colors and sizes.
Step 3: Use the low temp glue gun to glue the clusters to each other. To do this, add a line of glue where the balloons join and hold the two balloons in place for 20-30 seconds until the glue hardens. Then repeat with the other balloons to create your garland strand.
And here is another method for attaching balloons together:
Step 4: For this garland, I started with the smaller 5″ balloon clusters and then transitioned to the 11″-15″ clusters and then to the 16″ clusters and a few 24-36″ balloons. To add the optional lemon balloons, use 5″ balloons and blow them up to resemble a large lemon size. Then tie and glue on green paper leaves cut from crepe paper sheets or cardstock.
Step 5: Once your garland is complete and all the balloons are attached, it’s time to mount them. To do this, attach 2-3 wall mount hooks to the exterior of your house where you want the balloons to flow. For these I placed one hook up high to the left of the door frame and one about 2′ from the ground.
Step 6: Then simply thread a piece of ribbon around one of the cluster knots close to a hook and tie around the hook in a knot. Repeat with all your hooks and the garland is ready for party time!
The balloons hold up really well (even in extreme heat and wind) with just the low temp glue gun. And because the balloons are so light, only 2-3 hooks are needed to anchor the balloons. I hope seeing how easy it is to make a balloon garland for your front door will encourage you to try your hand at it for your party. Just be sure you are ready for all the oohs and aahs from your guests! XO. Kara
23 Comments
That balloon garland looks fantastic! I love the little lemons, they add a wonderful pop of color!
I wish I could do this in an apartment flat entrance! It looks stunning, such a great entryway decoration for a party! 😀
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
What a beautiful idea, that looks so gorgeous! I love the color combination!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
This is so cute and something I need to try out 🙂
Kayla
Sheer Beauty Blog
This is amazing! I totally need to do this for my kid’s birthdays this summer!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
How long can the balloons hold up? Could you make the garland a couple days before an event?
That’s what I want to know!!!
Wow thats so cute!! Do they deflate? I mean obviously they must (sily q) but how long do they last and stay plump?
Absolutely love this. Have been planning a balloon garland for my daughter’s first birthday party but I wasn’t sure how they were done. I don’t have a low temp glue gun – is there an alternative way you could do this without one? x
They’re very affordable! You can find one at your local craft store. Amazon is always good too!
Love it! I’ve been following WildChildParty for some time now and ooohing and ahhhing over their fun balloon garlands! Thanks for sharing!
Q; How long does it take to make this size garland? and how long will it hold up?
Isn’t it amazing how a little pop of color can add so much personality and pizzazz? So cute!
I made a small balloon tower for my oldest daughter’s first birthday years ago but this is just gorgeous!! Pinned it immediately as I will definitely be making one in the future!
This is pretty but is no one concerned about the environmental impact? I thought I’d discovered a rather super new site but this is putting me off.
I REALLY love the Colors of the house and the front door. If the owner is on this website and seeing my comment can they please tell me the colors that you used for their house and front door? Thank you
This color combo is perfect!! Would you share the links to the specific colors of balloons you used? 🙂 Thanks a bunch!
Hi! I used the following colors of Qualatex balloons: yellow, rose pink, wildberry, Caribbean blue, coral, and blush.
How long will the balloons hold up for? Can I make it in advance?
If kept inside, the balloons will last a few weeks.
Could you share the paint color of your house and door? Love the color scheme!
I’d like to know the house color too! I’m looking for the perfect blue…I’d also like to see a photo of the entire house (exterior) too, if available 🙂
Do you mind sharing which Qualatex balloon colors you used for this arch? Love the colors!
Hello! I have made a balloon garland and strung each balloon through fishing line. I prefer the method you described and wanted to confirm… once you had your clusters you only used the glue gun to connect all the clusters then the hooks and string to hang as you wanted? If so, did you have any issues with any of the clusters detaching? Thank you, johanna