I would like to start this post by giving a big 'shout-out' to all our QBN Facebook members! Facebook Groups are an amazing way to bring people together and create a strong community for like-minded people who have the same passion. The great thing about the QBN Group is the way that our members help and support each other, whether it's a design problem or motivational issue, and there are plenty who regularly jump in and freely offer their help!
A few years ago the group collectively created a list of their favourite ballooning tips and personal tricks of the trade. I have selected some of these to share with the Very Best Balloon Blog!
Tricks of the Trade
1. Balloons and Static - friend or foe?
Static can definitely be a problem when it comes to balloons! I have heard of balloons randomly popping due to high levels of static in a room.
Static does not like moisture or humidity, and therefore water can be used to reduce the amount of static in a room, a humidifier works well, and a fine water mister spray will help when working on site. Dryer sheets can also reduce static on balloons. Some decorators carry Static Guard with them on balloon jobs, as this can eliminate static and help prevent it from building!
To prevent static on your balloon ribbon, wet your scissors before using them to curl the ribbon. (Dip the tip of your scissors in water).
Static is definitely a friend when making confetti-filled balloons. To make confetti stick to the inside of a balloon you will need to build a little static within the balloon. With air-filled balloons it's easy; simply rub the side of the balloon with your hand, a cloth, or even better, bubble-wrap packaging - this works every time for me! I have also heard that placing balloons inside a plastic bag will help to build the static. When making helium-filled, confetti-filled balloons, you will need to ensure that you add a small amount of air into the balloon, as static cannot build in pure helium! Simply use a hand-pump and add a few pumps of air - not too many as it can make the balloon too heavy and it won't float!
2. When you finish something off with wide ribbon and you use two lengths together, remember to turn one around so they fall nice and do not stick to each other.
3. When the valve of a foil balloon does not easily open, do not damage the valve by sticking in something thick like a straw. Use something thin and flat. You will have the best result with a florist wire folded in two. Hold the valve between two fingers and gently slide in the wire with the folded side. This should go very smoothly without ruining the valve.
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4. In the winter or on cold days, make sure that your latex balloons are not cold (usually indicated if they feel hard to the touch). Warm them up by putting them in a warm place to soften up: a clothes dryer works very well! "I store my balloons in the garage, which gets extremely cold during the winter months. Balloons getting cold is not a problem, nor does it reduce their shelf life. However, before I use them, I throw them into our tumble dryer for around 5-10 mins to soften the latex again."
5. If you want to add a 'raisin' or bead inside a foil or bubble balloon to create a fixing point, do not push the 'raisin' or bead through the balloon's valve. Instead position it at the entrance of the valve and then using a hand pump, gently pump a little air and this will send the 'raisin' or bead inside the foil... without any damage to the valve! You might also consider buying a NikoLoon Tool for working with raisins in every type of balloon - once you get to know it well - it will save you a lot of time fumbling inside a foil for instance. You find it at Nikoloon.com.
6. Remember not to top-up or refill foils in cold weather. If you fill your foil balloons in a warm room and then transport the balloons to a customer in a cold vehicle, you may be concerned that they have gone down during transportation and be tempted to top them up! However, when you deliver the balloon, the helium will expand once they are taken into a warm room, and there is a high probability that they will pop!
7. To cut feather boas with less mess, part the feathers where you intend to cut and spray with Aqua Net hair spray, then seal the ends with a dot of hot glue. Another great tip is to use a section of a feather boa in a Deco Bubble for the feather-filled effect instead of filling with individual feathers. The result is the same, but it takes a faction of the time!
8. Use Clik-Clik magnets in your vehicle to organise your materials such as pre-cut ribbons, or to hang bagged designs to keep them from moving around the van.
9. "When I go on a job site visit (prior to the event of course), I make certain to take all of my measurements, find out where all of the plugs are, and find the best place to unload and set up. I also take my Click-Click magnets to see if they will stick to the ceiling. If the ceiling is high, I can have trouble seeing the ring on the magnet and sometimes it takes a while to get the magnet down, so I make sure to tie a long piece of Dacron arch line onto the magnet ring."
10. "If you get a cut in a foil balloon, use the Stretchy Balloon tape to seal it up. This tape is an absolute must for any balloon professional and is available from most balloon wholesalers and suppliers."
"If you are creating a design where you want to stick foil balloons together, you have to try Click- Click's AMAZING Stretchy Balloon Tape! It may appear expensive, but you use only the smallest amount and it's so so strong!"
11. "When I go on a site visit, I bring my cell phone and try to take pics from every angle. Then, when I find that when I need to know a detail I didn't think about, I can refer to my phone (for ex. if they want to change a location of something, or I need to see rigging points, etc.). I also bring a notebook and my laser ruler (one of my favorite toys!). I measure everything with that!"
12. Save your old/broken foils to use later, you can cover your balloon weights with them, and it looks nicer than latex sandbags.
Here are 11 ways to re-use old/broken foil balloons.
- Re-inflate them.
- Use as gift-wrapping - Birthday balloons are a clever way to wrap a birthday gift for your loved one!
- Replace tissue paper in gift boxes or bags - similar to gift wrapping, foil balloons make perfect tissue paper for gifts.
- Scrapbooking - A gifted balloon is a wonderful memento of a special occasion like the birth of a baby. What better way to remember that than including pieces of it in a scrapbook?
- Fuse them together - With the use of an iron, you can fuse foil balloons to create a blanket to keep in your car for emergencies or as a festive tablecloth.
- Use as packing material when mailing boxes — Re-use foil balloons by inflating them and using them to pad shipping boxes instead of using packing peanuts or other wasteful materials.
- Donate them to a local school for art projects - Each year, grade schools around the world create fun craft projects for Earth Day (April 22). What fun they would have coming up with creative uses for colourful foil balloons!
- Make Tinsel - The bright, reflective nature of foil balloons make them perfect for adorning a Christmas tree. Cut a foil balloon in thin strips to create homemade tinsel.
- Turn them into flowers - Cut the balloons into squares and use them to make “tissue paper” flowers for a shiny bouquet memento of the day.
- Make Pom-Poms - Much like the tissue paper flowers, reuse foil balloons by making pom-poms.
- Use them for rainy day craft ideas with kids - Repurpose foil balloons by using them in place of tissue paper in these fun craft ideas.
13. "When transporting helium-filled balloon arrangements, we use empty paper tubes to wrap the long ribbons around, we then use the Premium Balloon Accessories Clips Weights. We clip them to keep the ribbons short to ensure that they don't tangled up with the other balloons during transport. As we deliver them into the venue, we simply unclip and they are tangle free."
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| Premium Balloon Accessories 16g Clip Weights. Each weight holds down one Microfoil balloon up to 26". |
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| www.conwinonline.com |
14. Conwin grip tabs become amazingly strong when you heat the glue part. I use a hair dryer and then stick them on to the balloon I am working with!
Hopefully you found these tips to be as helpful and genius as I did! If you have any that you would like to add we would love to hear them and I will add them to the QBN Groups list!
If you are a QBN Member or CBA and have not yet requested to join the group, come along and join us today. We truly are a friendly bunch!
(To qualify as a QBN member you must have completed the QBN Balloon Basics Kit and passed the online test with a score of 80% or higher, you will then be sent your exclusive QBN membership number).
If you would like to learn more about how to become a QBN member click HERE
If you have any "Tricks of the Trade" that you would like to share, feel free to email them to me at suebowlercba@gmail.com with a header "Tricks of the Trade" and I will try to use them in a future blog post!
Happy Ballooning!
Sue