If you are wondering can you make a balloon garland the night before your party or special event you have come to the right place. The short answer is yes. Read on for the more detailed answer to lots of common questions about making balloon garlands, and how long they last.
Balloons are a simple way to bring a lot of life and color to any celebration. Balloon arches and garlands are ideal for making any occasion spectacular, whether it’s a baby shower, birthday party, wedding, or other event.
Balloon garlands can definitely be made in advance! All that is needed is some time on the night before your party to put it together.
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Can you Make a Balloon Garland the Night Before
Yes, you can make a balloon garland the night before your party. That’s the best time to make it if you have the time, as the inflated balloons will still be new and glossy looking as well. Making the balloon garland the day before the party is great because it will take away the stress of trying to decorate on the actual day of the party.
I hate the feeling of being rushed right before my guests arrive. It’s so much better to be feeling cool, calm and collected and ready to have fun, rather than trying to add balloons to your garland.
Balloon garlands have become so popular over the last couple of years and are a very popular party decoration and photo backdrop. They look stunning and really add the wow factor to any party area or space. I’ve found that it’s the easiset way to quickly transform an area into a party zone. Balloon garlands are also a great talking point. Your party guests will be amazed at how clever and creative you are.
Balloon garlands can make a big impact on the look of your party for not too much time outlay or expense.
How long does a balloon garland last
Balloon garlands can last anywhere from 24 hours to a week. The longevity of the balloons depends on the weather, temperature, heat and humidity and the quality of balloons used in the garland.
The reason that balloons don’t last forever is because the latex will slowly let air through the undetected pores in the balloons, causing them to deflate over time.
How to make balloon garland last longer
To make a balloon garland last longer, store it in a cool dry area as close to the party time as possible. If the party is inside, then I have always set it up the night before so that it is ready. Whereas if my party has been outside, then I set it up indoors and move the garland outside closer to the start time of the party.
If I am planning on adding fresh flowers, sprigs of greenery, photos, ribbons to my garland – I always wait until the day of the party to add the embellishments. However, I still do the balloon part earlier.
How far in advance can you make a balloon garland
For the best results make a balloon garland up to two to three days before your party. Balloons are best when they are new and glossy looking, so for this reason you want to use them within two to three days of the party.
Some people have been known to make them a couple of weeks in advance and store the balloons in a large clean plastic bag. I don’t recommend doing this. I believe it’s best to make it closer to the time of your party so that your balloons still have their nice shiny surface. In my opinion, the night before is perfect if that is achievable for you.
The good news is that balloon garlands don’t take too long to make so you can do them closer to the day of your event. It’s a good idea to get everything planned and set up a few days before to make sure that you will have all the supplies that you need.
How long will balloon garland last outside
Balloons don’t last as long outside because of the heat and humidity or wind and rain. Even too much breeze can make your balloons pop. The weather can contribute to the biodegrading of the latex material of the balloon and it won’t last as long as if it was stored inside.
Therefore, when making a balloon garland in advance, it’s a good idea to store it inside until closer to the time of your party or event. It’s best to move it outside right before the party starts.
How long does it take to make a balloon garland
How long it takes to make a balloon garland depends on the overall size of the decoration as well as how you are blowing up the balloons.
If blowing up each individual balloon by mouth, it will take a long while especially if with a large number of balloons. If this is the case and you have patience, enlist the help of friends and family.
However, for a really easy way, my recommendation is to invest in a balloon hand pump at a minimum. Some balloon garland kits come with one of these. If yours doesn’t, you can find one right here.
To blow up a lot of the balloons in a short amount of time, definitely invest in an electric pump. An electric balloon pump will be a game changer and really get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Once the balloons are all blown up, it can only takes around 20 minutes to make an average size balloon garland.
Blowing up the balloons is definitely the most time-consuming part. For example, for the most of my balloon arches that span half of our door, I use around 100 balloons. So blowing up that many balloons with your mouth, will leave you out of breath and over it!
Keep in mind that your first balloon arch / garland will take you the longest. Once you’ve created one, you’ll know what you’re doing and it will take considerably less time the next one you make.
Balloon Garland Tips and Tricks
The best tip for creating your own DIY balloon garland is to definitely get more balloons than you think you’ll need. Some might pop. Some might be too big or small for the look you want with your garland, as you’ll want various sizes for your arrangement. I always seem to add a few more in once I’ve hung it up.
Don’t worry about helium…in fact, it’s much easier without. I never use helium when making my balloon garlands. The balloons are easier to handle and style with just regular air. It’s cheaper and means I don’t need to rely on the local party store to fill them. I can fill them up at home quickly and easily.
Lots of different sizes of balloons give a balloon garland more interest and visual appeal. It will look great with a combination of larger balloons as well as smaller balloons. There is no need for special size balloons for this. Just blow up regular latex balloons of different sizes per color. Trust the process and have fun.
The best tool for making a balloon garland is this balloon strip! This is the magic ingredient for a balloon garland! Make sure you grab one like the strip in the picture below. It is much easier to work with when it has two holes per balloon. It makes the balloon a lot more secure. (Don’t get the strips with the one hole only).
And have fun! Balloon garlands are really fun to make and you’ll be so pleased with yourself when you see the final result.
Buy or DIY Balloon Garland
My number one tip for a beautiful party on a budget is to DIY as much of it as possible at home. So I knew that learning how to make a balloon garland would save me some money. The cost of a DIY balloon garland is much more affordable than what most people realise.
However, if you don’t have enough time or energy to make one or you’d just like to concentrate on other things for your birthday parties or special events, then definitely buy one pre-made from a local party business.
What do you need to make a Balloon Garland?
The easiest way to make a balloon garland/arch is with a balloon arch kit / balloon garland kit. These can be found online or at party supply stores. They come with the balloon strip and all the balloons that are needed.
Grab a few extra balloons just in case some pop. To be honest, I often buy double the balloons than what I think I will actually need. The extra balloons just do not go astray.
I often need a few more in the garland, and if I have any extra balloons left, I’ll use them to decorate other areas. Since they are in the same color scheme as the garland, they look great in smaller arrangements too.
If sourcing your own supplies for a full balloon garland, you will need to get a balloon strip to attach your balloons.
The next thing you’ll need is an electric balloon pump. It will save so much time! They are not expensive and it will absolutely change your party decorating forever!
How to Hang your Balloon Garland
Just a quick side note: A balloon garland, like any other balloon decoration without helium, doesn’t float. It must be hung on the wall or anchored somewhere.
A good option is to hang your balloon garland on the wall or over a door frame. Use string or fishing line to attach to a nail on the wall or a command hook. I’ve also found that sturdy safety pins or clear zip ties strung through the decorating strip’s holes to secure your garland to a curtain or fabric backdrop works well.
To attach to the hooks, use fishing line or clear zip ties strung through the holes in the decoration strip or use curling ribbon.
I love a balloon garland with greenery. It is my favorite way to add something a little extra to the balloon party decor!
Step by Step Instructions
Want to see more on how to create a balloon garland at home? It’s a lot easier than you’d think! Check out this step-by-step instructions tutorial video below for some great pro tips.
Making a balloon garland the night before is totally achievable and will not affect the look of your balloon garland. It will look just as fresh as if you made it an hour before the party started. Thanks for reading this article. Enjoy the decorating!
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i dunno, making a balloon garland seems like way too much effort for something that’s just gonna deflate or pop outside anyway.
Love the creativity behind balloon garlands! It’s amazing how a simple item like a balloon can transform event spaces. Thanks for the tips.
is there an easy way to hang these up without ruining the wall? got to think about the home repairs, lol.
Try using removable hooks! They’re a lifesaver for hanging decorations without damaging walls.
this is just what i needed, thx! gonna make my first party hosting attempt with a cool balloon garland. wish me luck y’all!
Good luck! Enjoy the party.
This might be a silly question, but can you use different sized balloons in the garland? Want it to be special for my kiddo’s bday!
Hi Sarah. You sure can. In fact different sized balloons look great in a garland.
i’m kinda new to this whole diy party decor thing, so like how many balloons do i really need to make this garland look full but not too crowded?
Hi Trixie. A good rule of thumb is around 100 balloons for a 10 foot garland. 50 balloons for a 5 foot garland and so on. But remember to have some extras in case they pop and you need replacements.