How to make a Balloon Arch

 

If you have ever done any fundraising, or decorating for a party at your childs school,  been to a school dance, done anything that has anything to do with kids you know that balloons are involved.

 

If you have ever been in charge of decorating for these functions you know just how expensive it is to pay someone to make a balloon arch for your celebration.

 

BIG BUCKS!

Really big bucks.

So many that I could not justify paying someone to do it for our last fundraiser.

I knew I could make one cheaper.

 

These directions are NOT FOR HELIUM BALLOONS. You could use helium but that is what makes it so expensive.

Heliums costs bucks!

 

I will try and walk you through this as clearly as I can.

I will also tell you where I messed up.

 

First you will need to go to the hardware store and buy the following

 

Twp     1/2 inch by 12 feet PVC piping.

One      coupling to join the two PVC pipes.

Two      T-brackets for the base

One      6 foot board 1x6 I believe...have them cut it in half, they will do this for free.

Four      bags of sandbox sand

two screws to attach the T-brackets to the boards

Duck Tape

 

 

You will also need approximately 100 balloons, 12inch helium balloons.

A Drill

An Air pump to blow up the balloons. I used the air pump that we use to blow up our beach toys

A piece of cardboard for a guide

Clamps to clamp the cardboard guide to a table.

 

The first thing you need to do is to start blowing up your balloons. You DO NOT WANT TO BLOW THEM UP TO THE FULL 12 INCHES.

 If you do, they will pop. I promise.

So that you will get uniform balloons cut out a shape like the below photos.

This guide is very helpful.

Don't poo poo it.



Blow your balloons up two at a time and then knot them together so that you create sets of two.
Best if you put the same colors together.

Once you have a bunch of double balloons created tie TWO sets of TWO together by twisting them around each other. This creates QUADS. When you twist them together they are "locked" together and do not come undone.

The picture above shows Kristen twisting two sets together creating a quad.

Once you have a bunch of quads created you then attach them to the PVC pipe.

To assemble the PVC piping:
Take the two 12foot sections and join them together using a coupling showed below.
I then took white duck tape and wrapped it around joints so it would not come apart. I did not glue it because I wanted to be able to take it apart and store it for future use.

 

I  then took the boards and used them for my base.

I used the drill to screw the screws through the PVC  T pipe to secure it to the board. Then put the 12 foot pipe into the T fitting and duck taped that together.

 

Ok.
So now you have your quads made
Your frame is set and it is time to twist the balloons onto the PVC pipe.
Twist the balloons around the pipe "locking" them onto the pipe twisting them around each other.
 By doing this you will not need to use any string to tie them onto the pipe.
Attach the next quad snugly next to the first quad.

The arch will need to be "tethered" to make is sturdier. We used it outside and it was rather windy and I wished I had used something sturdier that the fishing line that I used, but it worked.
Just know that wind can be pretty brutal.
I also anchored it by using four sand bags on top of the board, you can see them in the bottom photo.

My base could have been sturdier and I should have paid more attention to my placement of the color of balloons but hey, it worked.
The best part of this whole thing was the cost.
I spent $9.50 on the piping and supplies and the balloons were $11.00 for 100 balloons.

Because I had the pump and did not have to blow each one up by my own breath we made this is less than an hour and a half.

Yes, it could be fine tuned and be made better but it gives you an idea of just how easy it is to make.

If yo have any questions please ask and I will try and help you out.
Thanks for visiting.
Krista