Showing posts with label Quick Link Balloons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quick Link Balloons. Show all posts

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Creative QuickLink Balloon Walls - with Step-by-Step Guide

Balloon Walls are perfect for all occasions and create the perfect theme backdrop. 

QuickLinks are the quickest way to make a Balloon Wall! Creating a QuickLink Balloon Wall is a fun and colourful way to decorate for parties, events, or special occasions. QuickLinks are available in both 12” and 6” sizes.

QuickLink balloons have specially placed tail ends that allow you to easily link/tie them together. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make a QuickLink Balloon Wall:

Materials you'll need:

  1. QuickLink balloons in desired colours
  2. Balloon pump (electric pump for speed and efficiency)
  3. Poles and bases or Command hooks or other hooks (for hanging the balloon wall)
  4. Scissors

Step-by-step instructions:

  1. Plan the design: Decide on the size and shape of your balloon wall. You could create a wall covering an entire backdrop, a small section of a wall, or even a free-standing balloon wall.


    To plan your design, you could use the Balloon Pro Design Tool. This is a great way to experiment, and design your balloon wall and share a concept design with your clients.




    Choose your balloon colours:

  2. Select various colours to create a visually appealing and vibrant balloon wall. Consider the theme of your event or party to pick the appropriate colours.


    Here are a few different examples of QuickLink Balloon Walls. You can easily identify the type of event each wall was for by simply looking at the colours.


    Design by Sue Bowler


    Probably one of my favourite X-Grid Wall designs is by the incredible duo, Avital & Nir Shechter. The fabulous colours and the different sizing of the fillers makes this design fun, exciting and oh so vibrant! 

    Inflate the balloons:

  3. Use a balloon pump to inflate the QuickLink balloons. Make sure to inflate them to the same size for a consistent look.


  4. Create balloon chains: Make multiple balloon chains of varying lengths, depending on your design plan. To create a chain, inflate your balloons to the desired size and tie the balloons end to end, ensuring that the tying connections are tight and cannot stretch.


    QuickLink Vertical/Horizontal Grids This is one of my favourite techniques, and I have used it many times when creating balloon walls at corporate events. The last wall I made before we headed into lockdown was for an event in London where the theme for the party was Great Gatsby! 
  5. Here is an example of a Grid Method QuickLink Balloon Wall. I have colour-coded it to make it a little easier to understand the construction technique.


    Step 1.
    This is the first step to constructing a wall. For this wall I will need to inflate:
    Make 6 chains using 9 balloons in each chain (this is shown in red)
    Make 10 chains using 5 balloons in each chain (this is shown in blue)
     

    Step 2.
    Once you have inflated your chains, lay them down in the correct sequence. To connect the chains together you will need Duplets, in the example shown above you would need 60 Duplets.

    Step 3.
    To fill in the wall, you will need 'plugs'. A plug is a Duplet that will fit in each of the holes within the wall. I would recommend to inflate the Duplets approximately 1" smaller than the size used to create the actual wall or if you are using smaller QuickLinks approx ½" smaller.


  6. Add support for larger walls: If you're creating a large balloon wall, you need to add support to ensure the balloons stay in place.


  7. Optional: Add embellishments: If desired, add other decorations like foil balloons, paper flowers, banners, or LED lights to enhance the balloon wall further.



I also want to share with you this fabulous wall. Luc Bertrand, CBA of WaW Balloons in Vichte, Belgium created the original design he created this wall as part of the décor for the 100-year celebration of Pioneer Balloon Company on the Qualatex stand at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany. Luc's design uses the AeröPole System® to create the circular frame, and then Luc used 6" QuickLink balloons to create the central grid system filled with multi-coloured 5" latex balloons. 

100 Year Celebration Balloon Wall by Luc Bertrand
100 Years Celebration Balloon Wall by Luc Bertrand of WaW Balloons, Vichte, Belgium


I re-created Luc's design for the Pioneer Balloon Company's 100th Birthday Celebration Party in Wichita in 2017. The party theme was Black & White, and it was a great opportunity to use a fantastic selection of black & white printed balloons. This wall made the perfect photo backdrop!


QuickLink X Pattern Grids

This is another great technique using QuickLinks to create fabulous wall designs. 

Here are two grids that I have designed on the Balloon Tool to show you examples of how the frame looks with and without the balloon fillers.






Here are some examples of wall designs using the X-Pattern Grid


QuickLInk 'Love' Balloon Wall by Sue Bowler
'Love' X-Grid Wall designed and created by Sue Bowler

It's a Boy! QuickLink Balloon Wall by Sue Bowler
'Welcome Baby' X-Grid Wall Designed and created by Sue Bowler

Nir and Avital Shechter, CBA's of Baloney Nir in Katzrin, Israel
Nir and Avital Shechter, CBA's of Baloney Nir in Katzrin, Israel are all about design especially when they create their fabulous balloon walls! 

Back to School Balloon Wall by Nir and Avital Shechter, CBA's of Baloney Nir in Katzrin, Israel
'Back to School' X-Grid Wall Designed by Avital and Nir  

If you have never tried making a balloon wall, then start with QuickLinks! If you want to practice, you can use 6" QuickLinks wmeaning that your design will be much smaller than if you use 12". You can still make a great backdrop design using 6" QuickLink balloons, so make sure that whatever you make, you use it for a photo opportunity! 

A huge thank you to Nir & Avital Shechter, Alberto Falcone, and Luc Bertrand for sharing their beautiful balloon wall designs with the Very Best Balloon Blog! 

Happy Ballooning! 


Sue
Follow me @suebowler



Friday, April 17, 2020

Q Corner Convention Additional Information from Chun-Lin, Sung and Luc Bertrand, CBA

Since the Q Corner Convention, a number of the instructors have very kindly shared additional information to further supplement their classes, including photographs, class notes and materials lists. To make it easier for everyone to find for future reference, I have documented these, along with their class video, in a series of blog posts that I will publish over the next few weeks.


Chun-Lin, Sung - @BuskerJames
From Taichung, Taiwan.
Class Title: Maillestrom is a storm shape of ring's combination. 
"It looks really gorgeous with Chrome and metal color balloons."



"I thank Soo Chin for the invitation to be one of instructor in Q Corner Convention.I have received many thanks from balloon artists from around the world, who made 'Maillestrom' and tagged me immediately! Because of an audio problem, I was unable to show you the variation of Maillestrom. So, I would like to explain here: Based on Maillestrom design that I taught, the center structure which called Mobius ball could link to other Mobius balls. This linking method is called the Moorish Rose Weave. You can see the tutorial by visiting  https://chainmail101.com/moorish-rose or click HERE. The Materials that you will need is in the picture's description. The length of Mobius ball's ring is 80cm, and the silver ball in the center is five pumps size. With Qualatex Chrome Colors, you can also make fine art! Again, thanks for your watching, and see you next time in Q Corner. This is Chun-Lin, Sung from Taiwan, stay safe and be healthy, Cheers!"

Product List to make the Maillestrom


(1) 260Q Chrome Mauve
(1) 260Q Chrome Copper 
(1) 260Q Chrome Gold 
(1) 260Q Chrome Green
(1) 260Q Chrome Blue
(1) 260Q Chrome Purple
(6) 260Q Chrome Silver
(6) 160Q Black
(1) 350Q Silver
(1) 350Q Black


If you missed Chun-Lin, Sung's class, just click on the video below! The video starts at the beginning of his class.





Luc Bertrand, Cba of WaW Balloons in Vichte, Belgium.
Class Title: New Techniques for Flower Designs
"Spring is in the air, but be it summer, autumn or winter, everybody loves to see flowers! Flower are great eye-catchers in any design, whether for private parties or corporate events. Luc will start off with showing a new way of integrating flower patterns and geo blossoms in classic decor. This technique can be used in pedestals and columns up to arches. Then, Luc will show a rather unusual way of making a flower-base that can be made small or big, resulting in a whole range of possibilities. Centrepiece, gift, large arrangement, column or arch? Discover them in this session."
These are the slides that Luc shared during his class:








Here are some of the designs that have been made by viewers of Luc's class that have been shared on social media! 



If you missed Luc's class, just click on the video below! The video starts at the beginning of his class.




A huge thank you to both Chun-Lin and Luc for the great additional information! If you make any of the designs that were shown in the Q Corner Convention, make sure to place   #QCornerconvention on your post so we can see your amazing creations!
Happy ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler

Thursday, November 28, 2019

QuickLinks Santa Mural 2019 Update

Several Christmases ago, Luc Bertrand, CBA, of Waw Balloons, Vichte, Belgium, very kindly gifted the readers of the Very Best Balloon Blog with a recipe to make his QuickLinks™️ Santa Mural. Today I decided to play with the design a little, and I made a few tiny tweaks, and sprinkled in a few little organic additions. 


The basic frame for this design is much the same as Luc's original (see design and details below). The only real changes are the addition of the fillers. In the original design, Luc does not fill the gaps between the links, I just wanted to see how it would look if I made these changes, and I really liked the result! For the hat, I used single balloon fillers, but for Santa's hair and beard, I used random-sized cluster (organic) fillers, which gave it a more realistic textured beard! 
This image was created using Chris Adamo's fabulous Balloon Design Tool

This fantastic Santa design is quick and easy to re-create. When made with 6" QuickLinks, it's ideal for a window display, however, if you step up the sizing  and use 12" QuickLinks your design will have an even bigger impact - perfect for a Christmas event!  


To see Luc's original Santa Mural design and recipe, click HERE.





Thank you Luc for the original design, and I hope that you like the few little additions that I made! 


Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me at #suebowler








Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Cheers! Learn How to "Craft a Brew" with Nick Anderson, CBA! With a Great Video Tutorial!

Here is a super fun "Beer Fest" design by Nick Anderson, CBA, of Zippidy Doo in Brisbane, Australia. This ultra-mod beer glass design is perfect for your next Octoberfest celebration, or for the many Beer Festivals held around the world! 

Nick has very generously shared his design recipe with the Very Best Balloon Blog. 


Beer Fest Balloon Sculpture by Nick Anderson


To see how to make this design, check out the step-by-step video below.



Below is the ingredients and recipe, which features some very helpful tips:

Material List

48 x 12" Qualatex® QuickLinks™️ Gold
12 x 12" QuickLinks White
18 x 12" QuickLinks Diamond Clear
8  x  6" QuickLinks Diamond Clear
48 x 6" QuickLinks Gold
8  x  6" QuickLinks White
Optional:
5" White
You will also need 11" White balloons to create the 'frothy' part of the beer.


Method

  • Start by inflating 8 x 12" Gold QuickLinks to 10" (keep the sizing consistent within the design), then tie into a ring. Repeat until there is six rings total.
  • Next inflate 8 x 12" White QuickLinks inflated to 10" and tie into a ring. Inflate 8 x 12" Diamond Clear QuickLinks to 10" and tie into a ring.
  • Next inflate  eights chains of 6" Quick Links using 1 x Diamond Clear, 5 x Gold and 1 x White in each chain and connect together in that order. You will use these to connect the rings together as shown in the video.
  • The Beer glass handle, inflate 6 x 12" Diamond Clear QuickLinks to 10". Optional: add 5" balloon clusters in between each of the QuickLinks handles for extra flair! 
  • To create an attractive foam on the beer, finish the design by tying in organic style white clouds of bubbles using 11" White balloons.
  • Optional: to create an even stronger base, add a cluster of four Diamond Clear 10" QuickLinks tied to every second end within the hoop to strengthen the base. 
Ensure that you tie the QuickLinks together tightly as this will guarantee a resilient and strong structure.

A huge thank you to Nick for sharing this great design, I am sure many of our readers will really enjoy making it! 

Cheers and Happy Ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com
#suebowler


Thursday, January 4, 2018

Christmas Party with a 70's Disco Theme

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that you had a productive and profitable Christmas and New Year! I thought that I would start the year by sharing one of my own Christmas experiences.


For the past few years, I have had the privilege of working with Ali Welsh to design and decorate a Christmas party in one of London's top hotels. Each year the theme has been very different, with this year being 70's Disco.


70' Party Decor by Sue Bowler - Ali Welsh Events Ltd.
Ali Welsh Events Ltd.
Balloons by Sue Bowler, CBA
Quick Link Disco Design by Mike Hurst CBA
When I started to design the party, my first two thoughts were — "Mirror Balls" and the word "DISCO"! 





I usually start my design process by surfing the Internet for inspiration and found this image. I thought that this would be perfect for the stage decor. 








I felt that the style of letters would look good made from Qualatex® Quick Link Balloons™. They would have a great visual impact and be light enough to hang. The only problem I faced was that I had no idea how to make them! It was at this point I called a good friend and expert, Mike Hurst, CBA, of Red's Balloons and Party in Brackley, England. Last year, Mike developed and ran a course teaching how to make numbers using Quick Links, and I really liked his style, so Mike was the perfect person for me to ask to design the letters for me. 




I spent an afternoon with Mike at his shop learning how to make the letters and to see how they would look. As you can see they were pretty huge, but I knew that they would need to be big to have the impact that I was looking for.

Mike will be releasing an online "NUMBERS" course later this year that will show you how to create all the numbers using this fabulous technique. He assures me that he will be starting on his letters course soon! 







"Disco" Stage Decor
To re-create the Mirror Ball look was a little easier! We made one hundred and fifteen "Mirror Ball" centrepieces! 


3' Confetti Balloons with Neon Tails
Photograph by Nicci Rene

Each balloon was prepared with Hi-Float and then filled with square-cut silver confetti — we used approximately 60 grams of confetti in each balloon.
Photograph by Nicci Rene














The balloons look fabulous grouped together before we put them out on the tables! 











Photograph by Nicci Rene




For the lower ceiling areas, we made an air-filled Bubble Balloon® version that worked perfectly! 


Photograph by Nicci Rene










One of my favourite foils is the Holographic Stars! These always look so fabulous when used for decor, but this was the first opportunity that I have had to use all the colours for the same job and they looked amazing!










This is a short promotional video created by Peter Lane Creative Studio on behalf of Ali Welsh events. It shows the magical transformation of the ballroom - we did it in less than two hours! 

Ali Welsh Events - Highlights video - Grosvenor Christmas Party from Peter Lane on Vimeo.

I would like to say a huge "Thank you!" to my amazing team who worked so hard — and made quite a lot of mess, too!


"The Confetti Queens" - Nicci Rene - Nathalie Saunders - Kerry Ferguson - Debbie Magill
"The Quick Link Disco Kids" - Stuart Davies and Aimee Smith
"The Base Boys" - John Bowler and Jim Magill


"The Bubble Girl" - Sue Bowler
"The Finisher" - Dee White
I hope that you have enjoyed a little look at how our day went! Did I have any sleepless nights before the event? Yes, of course! Did I have that sicky feeling all day in my stomach? Always! 

Happy New Year and Happy ballooning!

Sue
www.suebowler.com 
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