DIY Balloon Garland

I’d like to consider myself the queen of balloon garlands. I absolutely LOVE them, and I think they are such a cute, easy, and relatively inexpensive way to add a ‘WOW’ factor to any party or celebration. Rob and I had a drive by baby shower this past weekend at our house hosted by my parents and one of my best friends, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I asked if I could build a massive balloon garland to dress up our garage. It turned out absolutely darling, and we got so many comments on it – so I thought I’d share the process over here on the blog today!

You may remember that I wrote a balloon garland tutorial a couple years ago. To this day it is one of my most popular posts, bringing thousands of people to my website each month.  (You can read that post, HERE.) However, I’ve since changed the way I do balloon garlands now that I’ve had a lot of practice doing them. So I thought I would share an updated tutorial here on the blog today! Both tutorials / ways of constructing the balloon garlands work and are super easy to follow. The only difference is the method of attaching balloons together to form the garland. So you can take a look at both tutorials and see which one would work best for you!

READ ALSO: The Easiest DIY Balloon Garland Tutorial

DIY Balloon Garland Tutorial (Updated)

Don’t let those epic balloon garlands you see on Pinterest or Instagram intimidate you. In reality, they are super easy. With this tutorial, you’re about to be a balloon garland queen in no time! After you see how easy they are to make, you’ll want to incorporate them into every party and celebration.

Supplies

• Balloon Garland Tape
• Balloon Pump (Hand Pump or Electric Pump)
• Glue Dots
• Various Sizes of Balloons – Different sizes of balloons will give your balloon garland a lot of dimension (and will also help it ‘fit’ together better and avoid gaps.) I like to purchase my balloons at Party City! I’ve also had really good luck at Dollar Tree with balloons. 
• Optional: Purchase a Balloon Garland Kit! Everything you’ll need comes together in a package and ready to assemble. 

When it comes to getting supplies for my balloon garlands, I typically shop for balloons, balloon tape, etc. at my local Party City because it’s a one stop shop. However, when purchasing through them isn’t an option (whether due COVID or stores being out of stock), Amazon is a great place to purchase supplies. For this balloon garland, I ended up ordering two balloon garland kits (and constructing them together) to avoid having to run to the store. Here is the exact balloon garland kit that I ordered. I also linked a lot of really great ones on Amazon below! Just scroll from left to right and click on the picture to shop.

Pro Tip: The garland kit I purchased said that it would make a garland 9-10 feet long, and that was definitely not accurate at all. If you’re wanting your garland to look plump and full, I always recommend planning for extra balloons! I also had a few balloons pop during construction or come with holes. (This is super common!) I always make sure to account for extra balloons just in case I need to replace some. 

 

Balloon Garland Tutorial

1: Measure Out Your Garland

The first step to constructing a balloon garland is to figure out how large you want it. After doing enough of these, I find it best to keep this measurement in mind and not cut your balloon tape until you’re completely finished. If you do plan to cut your balloon tape to a specific measurement, make sure to add a few feet to this measurement so you have some extra length as the balloons start to fill it up. You can always cut off the tail at the end after you hang it up! I typically just let the tail hang and cut it at the very end when I am finished.

2: Sort and Blow Up Your Balloons

To get a plump garland with a lot of dimension, it’s super important to blow up balloons of various sizes. So I know how many of each size that I have, I like to sort the balloons into piles before I blow them up. I sort them by size, color, and pattern. When they are blown up, it helps having them in groupings for easy grabbing when you’re constructing in a pattern. Save your breath and invest in a hand pump or an electric pump – both relatively inexpensive on Amazon!

3: Attach Balloons to the Balloon Tape

When you’re ready to start attaching the balloons to the balloon tape, make sure you leave a two foot tail of balloon tape on the end so you can easily carry, transport, and hang your garland once you’re done. Once you hang the garland in it’s party location, you can always trim the tape. (Since it’s clear, you’ll not be able to notice it anyways!)

Pro Tip: When I construct my balloon garlands, I always hang the balloon tape on my dining room curtains with a clip. Not only does it avoid getting dog hair on my balloons, but it helps me to actually visualize the garland as it’d be hanging at the party while I’m constructing it.

Once you tie off each balloon, you’ll insert the end through the hole of the balloon tape to lock it in tight. Some people alternate which side they poke the balloon end through, but I typically just stick to sticking them all through the same way. As you’re adding on balloons, make sure you pack in your balloons tight to avoid gaps / holes. Larger balloons may have you skipping several holes in between each balloon, but smaller balloons should be able to utilize each hole. If balloons start popping off while you’re constructing, they may be packed in too tight. If there are a lot of gaps / holes in between your balloons, you should be able to place them closer together on the tape.

When constructing balloon garlands, I typically work in a pattern rotating in sizes and colors. It’s really all about your preference and your creativity at this point! Once you place each balloon on the tape, you can twist and adjust the balloons around so they fit seamlessly together and give you the look that you’re going for.

Important Note: Leave your smallest balloons (5″) for last. You will attach these balloons onto your garland with glue dots. The smallest balloons are the best for covering up any holes and acting as a filler to give your balloon garland a very plump and ‘bubbly’ look.

4: Attach Your Smallest Balloons with Glue Dots

The smallest balloons (5″) are the best for covering up any holes and acting as a filler to give your balloon garland a very plump and ‘bubbly’ look. Place the glue dots near the butt end of the small balloons and stick them to the surrounding balloons already on the balloon tape that you’re trying to fill a spot for. Try to place them in gaps / holes so that the tie / butt end of the balloon isn’t showing. You can do this either while constructing the garland or after you hang and adjust your balloon garland at the party so you can cover any gaps / holes.

5: Hang Your Balloon Garland & Adjust 

Once you’re done constructing your balloon garland, it’s ready to hang! Use the two foot tail sections of the tape on either side of the garland to easily hang it anywhere. You can easily hang with a string strung through the balloon tape holes or with a screw screwed through the balloon tape holes. Once your balloon garland is hung, you can trim off the ends of the balloon tape and adjust any balloons to minimize gaps / holes where you may be able to see through to the tape. (With your small balloons acting as filler with glue dots, you most likely won’t have this issue!)

6: Photo Ready!

When you take a step back and fall in love with your DIY Balloon Garland, you are officially ready to party and capture memories!

The first photo is the garland on the morning of our baby shower when we hung it. The next three photos are how it held up till the next day. Other than some of the smaller balloons falling off, it held up amazing! 

 

 

Well there you have it, friends! Constructing your own epic balloon garland for your next party or celebration doesn’t have to be intimidating. I hope this DIY Balloon Garland Tutorial helps you see how easy it is to bring the ‘WOW’ factor to your next celebration. If you try out this tutorial, let me know how it goes in the comments below!