Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow - Elegant decor design ideas with Dazzling Snowflakes!

I would have to say that the new Qualatex Dazzling Snowflakes Holographic Microfoil® balloon has to be one of my favourite winter balloons this year!

Dazzling Snowflakes #20263/ #20260

I'm not sure if it's the 6-Point Star shape, the design, the Holographic effect or all of it, but they are such an elegant balloon that is perfect for all winter events!

I am very excited to be decorating a corporate Christmas party this year and the Snowflake balloons will be a huge part of the decor, I will be using them for the centrepieces and a feature arch! I will share the end result after the event, but I am sure that it will look amazing!

This balloon shape is also perfect for connecting together, allowing us to create stunning air-filled mobiles, which I think are perfect for venues with higher ceilings and good fixing points. Once positioned they will gently move around, and the Holographic elements will sparkle in the light!


I have created an artists impression of some of the mobile shapes that can be created with these balloons. (A mobile is a decorative structure that is suspended so as to turn freely in the air)

Designs like these are very easy to make and can be prepared prior to inflating the balloons to save time on the day of the event that you are decorating.

• Simply lay the balloons down on a flat surface and create the overall shape that you want to make.
• Using a very strong tape such as Stretch Balloon Tape, tape the balloons together at the connection points. As with all tapes the longer you leave it before adding any pressure to the connection points the better, this give time for the adhesive to work as it should to create a really good bond.
  
• Now carefully inflate each of the foils (make sure that when you tape the balloons together that you don't tape over the valve).
• To complete the design, use 5" balloons inflated to approx. 3" and make 4-balloon clusters to hide the mechanics at each of the connection points,  you might feel that it looks fine without the addition of latex balloons, but make sure that it looks neat and professionally finished.
• If possible use the Magmover System to suspend these from the ceiling, otherwise you will need to find an alternative way to rig these.

The Dazzling Snowflake works really well when making air-filled centrepieces too! 

When it comes to making a centrepiece we can really enhance our designs by adding visual texture and other elements that compliment the theme that we are working on. I have created 2 versions below, you could say that version 1 is the basic version and version 2 the deluxe version. It is great to be able to show a client 2 or even 3 versions of a design giving them different pricing points, personally I know which one I would prefer if it were my party!

Version 1

Snowflake Centrepiece 1 

Base & Approx 30"/ 76cm Pole

20 x 5" Silver Latex Balloons

20 x 5" White Latex Balloons

1 x   646Q Silver

1 x   Dazzling Snowflake 

1 x   160Q Silver

Method:

Start by covering the pole of your pole and base with the 646Q Silver balloon by simply stretching from the top to the bottom. I would recommend that you secure it at both ends using a small length of the 160Q Silver balloon. 

Double stuff all the 5" balloons with the white inside the silver. I felt that the colour of this design needed to be a very soft silver which can be achieved by double stuffing them with white, it also makes the balloons look more solid rather than opaque.

I have chosen to create a 6-balloon cluster base for this design, it gives it a really nice roundness and it looks great! It also echo's the 6-point star shape therefore creating rhythm within the design.

For the base cluster create 3 x 4" duplets using the double stuffed balloons, and carefully position these at the base of the design. Each duplet is added by positioning a balloon either side of the pole and then the next duplet in the opposite direction so that they lock in position, the final duplet will slide in between the 4-balloon cluster that you have already created.

The second cluster is 3 x 3" duplets and is added as before and will sit neatly on top of the base duplets.

At the top of the pole I have changed to 2 x 4-ballon clusters as this gives the design visual balance, more balloons would make the design look top heavy.

The first of the 4-balloon clusters is sized to 3" and the second is sized to 3.5".

Finally add the air-filled Dazzing Snowflake, using the remaining scrap of 160Q, this should sit neatly and firmly on the top cluster.

Version 2

Version 2, I have simply added a few additional elements to the original version! I feel that by adding lights and white tinsel, we have turned the simple version into something very elegant, the white tinsel gives a frosty effect and the lights will make the centrepiece look dynamic and sparkle in a darkened room.

The lights that I have uses are Battery operated LED fairy lights that are inexpensive and work perfectly in a centrepiece.

Here's another great design idea using the Dazzling Snowflake, you can download the instructions by visiting the Christmas Business Booster on the Qualatex website.

Snowflake Splendor 

I hope that you are as inspired as much as I am with this fabulous balloon and I look forward to seeing lots of great designs using it this Christmas!

Happy Ballooning!

Sue

www.suebowler.com