It can take a very long time to learn and build up knowledge in any area. Experiencing those "light-bulb" moments is very much part of the learning curve, I know well from my own personal experiences; like when I was decorating for an event and the 5" balloons inside a 3' helium-filled balloon unexplainably started popping... I had to find out why! Today, I would like to share some "tips & tricks" that will help you when working with balloons!
Let's start with the popping 5" balloon story!
Mixing Gases
I am not sure is this is a tip or trick, but it is certainly something that we all need to know!
Helium, or Balloon Gas is lighter than air, and air molecules are much bigger than helium molecules. Each of these gases react differently inside balloons.
Helium inside a latex balloon moves around and gradually escapes (diffuses) over a period of time through the natural pore of the balloon. That is why the average floating time of an 11" helium-filled latex balloon ranges from 18-24 hours, as the helium escapes, the balloon will start to get smaller and eventually fall down.
Air inside a latex balloon lasts much longer, as air molecules are big and it takes a longer period of time to escape from a latex balloon - weeks and months, rather than hours. The balloons will gradually get softer but they stay inflated for a much longer period than a helium-filled balloon.
So when you put 5" balloons inside a larger balloon, it is essential that you use the same gas in both balloons!
When you put helium-filled balloons inside an air-filled balloon, the helium escapes (diffuses) from the helium-filled balloons and the balloons will go down, the same as they would if they were outside of the larger balloon. Have you ever tried putting helium inside a 5" balloon? It will float for around 2-3 hours before it gently drops down.
When you put air-filled balloons inside a larger helium-filled balloon, a process called 'diffusion' occurs. This is when the helium naturally moves and filters through and into the latex of the smaller balloons, which causes the smaller balloons to expand and eventually pop! This is exactly what happened to me!
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!
If you would like to learn how to make a confetti-filled Deco Bubble, check out the great video below.
What should you do if the valve on a foil balloon does not open easily?
When the valve of a foil balloon does not easily open, first be ultra-careful not to damage it. Sometimes these appear to be stuck closed, but with a little help, we can usually open them. The temptation is to try and open the valve using a pencil or straw, but be aware that the valves in foil balloons are very delicate and can be easily damaged. For best results, use something thin and flat such as a folded floristry wire. 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. If you don't have any floristry wire, try a flat beverage stirrer, like the wooden ones supplied in coffee houses.
Using a floristry wire, bend in half and carefully insert it into the valve of the foil balloon.
Cold Latex Balloons
Latex balloons last longer when they are stored in a cool and dark environment, as this helps to preserve the balloons shelf life for longer. However, if balloons get too cold, they can become hard to the touch and almost impossible to inflate, like the three balloons on the left. You can easily resolve this by warming up them up! Either put the balloons somewhere warm, like on a radiator, or place them into a tumble dryer for a few minutes - et volia, your balloons will be back to normal and as good as new!
Stretched Balloons
Here is another great tip about warming up balloons: when you pre-inflate latex balloons, they becomes stretched and lose their original balloon shape (see below left.) These balloons are still perfectly good, and can be used for your decor and balloon design. However, if you want the balloons to return to their original balloon shape, simply warm them up using either of the techniques above.
Making a balloon round rather than traditional balloon shape.
Some balloon decor styles, such as Balloon Columns and organic décor, look better when made with a rounder shape rather than the traditional balloon 'teardrop' shape. This can be easily achieved by how you inflate the balloons. Check out the video below to see how you can achieve this. If you do not have an electric pump, you can achieve the same results using a hand-pump, following the same principle.
Did you find this post useful? I would love to get some feedback!
Happy Ballooning Everyone and thank you for reading the Very Best Balloon Blog!
I too was busy this NYE, and like Matthew Lewis mentions in his blog 'Tips for a smooth New Year's Eve', I was able to start my preparations earlier in the week. Pre-inflating over 1000 - 5" balloons along with other small jobs that all take valuable time. Six hours of preparing sand weights, attaching fixing points to stars as well as many other little tasks! We were also able to start working on our NYE decor at the venue on the 30th of December which was such a bonus. Another six precious hours that we did not need to work on the day! Our job was in London, England; it was a repeat of the job that we did last year. Exactly the same decor, but in different colours so that made it very easy for us and a great opportunity to make some changes and improvements, making the job even quicker than last year!
Sue's Top Tips
1. Understand your customer’s needs and requirements. Space is a premium and most venues like to maximise their seating capacity to maximise their revenue, therefore they have limited space available for balloon decor. Design your decor to fit the available space. We love to work with Qualatex® Starpoint Microfoil® Balloons as we can create these elegant walls that fit neatly against the walls in the ballroom.
2. Check for magnet fixing points. Knowing your venue is very important, and I would always recommend a site visit. Finding fixing points for magnets is also very helpful. We used Click-Click™ ClickMagnets to keep our walls perfectly in position.
3. Allow time for repairs or changes. If you get the opportunity to start early, you still need to ensure that your decor looks perfect on the day. Occasionally a balloon will go down overnight, so ensure that you allow enough time to make any repairs or changes. In many cases, the event manager will want to walk around the venue with you once you have finished to confirm that they are happy with everything that you have done. It must look absolutely perfect!
New Year’s Eve is such an important occasion. Expectations are high! Everyone wants it to be memorable and the "best night ever!" Venues charge top rates for people to attend a gala or party, and many charge customers to even visit a bar or club that would normally be free. So there is huge importance and responsibility on the event decorator to get it right!
Matthew Lewis, CBA, of No Ordinary Balloon Company in Coventry, United Kingdom, is very busy leading up to New Year’s Eve (NYE) and mainly offers special effects to his clients. I asked Matthew if he would share some of his top tips when planning his NYE campaign.
Last week I was thrilled to be a guest instructor working with Robbie Furman in Ireland for the first stop of his UK & Ireland BAPIA Tour.
Mr & Mrs Zebra Design created by Sue Bowler CBA using Qualatex Balloons, Premium Balloon Accessories and Clik Clik Balloon Bond
My allotted time slot was after lunch, which was great as it gave me a few hours to play & prep working with some exciting products that had been supplied by the tours very generous sponsors before my demonstration!
After unpacking all my Qualatex balloons that I had selected to use for my demonstration it suddenly dawned on me that I did not have a heat sealer for the 9" & 14" Microfoil™ balloons that I was using in my designs... now that was a very big problem as I was using these in all but one of my designs, and therefore I needed to find a solution.
