Decorating without helium balloons

Helium balloons are fun, easy and a ubiquitous party must-have, right?! So what do you do if your venue explicating has a rule stating….”no helium balloons”. WHAT do you do for decorations? What can you do?

Well let me assure you there are still lots of AMAZING non-helium balloon options!

Standard latex balloons can be filled with regular air to create an awesome decorations: Mini balloons are mounted upon cups and sticks (or straws for added cuteness). These make adorable favors for guests and can double as tabletop decorations too. Shop our Balloon Supplies: Here

Linking balloons are magical little balloons with tails on them. One side has the traditional opening where you blow air in and tie. The opposite end has a “tail”, allowing you to easily tie balloons tail-to-tail making a balloon chain. These nifty things are offered in a mini size (6 inch) and traditional (12 inch). I prefer the mini size. We offer them in a variety of colors and in clear-for making confetti filled linking balloons, which are really amazing!

Balloon arches are having a moment right now and are becoming really big, and for good reason. These arches can create mega wow factor at a very reasonable cost. They can be used outdoors or indoors and can be assembled a few days in advance. Beware though, they do require a lot of work and LOTS of balloons. Just pop over to Pinterest and type in balloon arch and you fill find endless beautiful inspiration. Arches are typically made using a variety of size balloons: 5″, 11″, 16″, 24″ and 36″ latex balloons are the most commonly available sizes. What is amazing….is you can simply fill with regular air! Some like to add a pop of metallic orbz, some confetti balloons or a floral accent and this looks amazing but will add to the cost. I’ve heard some use chicken wire (?) but honestly, that sounds crazy and entirely WAY to hard. You can buy PVC arch kits, which gives you a solid form to attach your balloons to. My trick, is this amazing non-adhesive tape called decorator strips designed for this very purpose. This strip is pre-punched with tiny holes for you to slide the base of your inflated balloons into, this product is the ticket to doing this right and without losing your sanity in the process. Shop Our Balloon Arch Kits: Here

Foil air-fill balloons are another great option. Generally, air-filled balloons come in either 14″ or 16″ size. Foil (or mylar) balloons that are 34″ and 40″ in size are typically used with helium, although they can be air-filled. In contrast, foil balloons sized 14″ or 16″ MUST be used with air, and not helium. They are designed to be used in that way only! And they look crazy cute this way. (FYI: If you go rogue, and fill these with helium anyway- they still will not float and the inflator on the helium tank can damage and ruin the balloon.) Just pop on over to instagram and see your favorite accounts partying and making announcements with these adorable little balloons. They are super easy to use. Each balloon comes with a straw. You pop that in the bottom of the balloon tail* and blow, easy peasy. I recommend these tails can be scotched taped up to the balloon so they don’t hang down funny. Each letter/numeral/symbol has a tab(s) with holes to run a string thru so you can hang them up as a garland. In our shop, we always include pre-cut string for you. I will warn, these tabs are a tad flimsy and sometimes rip all the way thru. So string gently, and if it does rip- scotch tape with repair tab so you can string easily. Alternatively, use double sided duct tape and simply tape these to a wall or window. Since these balloons are available in every letter of the alphabet, you can say whatever you want! They are sold prepackaged in common phrases too, such as “congrats”, “happy birthday”, XOXO, baby, one, love and more! These phrases are sold as either individual letter kits or as a single balloon written in cursive handwriting. They are super adorable and very popular! Shop Our Letter and Word Balloons: Here