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Balloon Column Instructions

What you need:

  • 11" high quality latex balloons in two different colors (in our example we used 'Qualatex' pearl white and pearl peach),
  • 5" high quality latex balloons in the same colors,
  • your pre-prepared Sturdy Base such as a stauchion (see hire list under dance floor and staging)
  • Balloon Sizer made from cardboard with a 11" and a 5" hole cut into it.
  • an electrical inflator 

For a balloon column of 7'3" (2,2 m) height you'll need a stand of 6'2" (1,88 m), 17 11" balloons (9 white, 8 pearl) and 52 5" balloons (26 white, 26 pearl). Make sure you have some extra balloons in case any should burst.

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Sidebar:
If this balloon column will be the only air filled balloon decoration you'll ever make, then you might want to rent an inflator instead of buying one (See hire list). Alternatively, gather friends and family together to help you blowing up the balloons manually!
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Step One

Take four 11" balloons, two of each color, and begin inflating them (fig. 1), using your balloon sizer to make sure that they are all a uniform size (fig. 2).

Balloon Column - Fig. 1 Balloon Column - Fig. 2 Balloon Column - Fig. 3

Tie them in clusters of two (fig. 3). Note: The professional way is to tie off the first balloon, inflate the second and knot it directly to the neck of the first balloon. However, you may find that you lose air as you do this. Alternatively you could knot both balloons and then tie them together. There really is no easy way to do this, but with practice it will become easier.

Now cross the two pairs of balloons (fig. 4), and then twist them around once, so that you have both colors directly opposing each other (fig. 5). This first cluster can now be put in position at the base of your stand (fig. 6). Position the balloons so that the conduit is between two of them and simply push the cluster onto it, until it's in contact with the knots in the middle. You'll find that it's such a snug fit that the balloons are self-securing. This technique will be used for all the clusters of the column.

To avoid confusion, once you begin constructing the spiral, always pass the conduit between the two white balloons of every new cluster that you attach.
 Balloon Column - Fig. 4 Balloon Column - Fig. 5 Balloon Column - Fig. 6

Step Two

As in Step One, take four 11" balloons, two of each color, the only difference being that these four will be under inflated to 8". After inflating, tying and twisting, again you should have a cluster of two opposing colors.

Now put this cluster in position, with the conduit between the two white balloons (fig. 7). From this point you will be working from left to right, in other words, each new cluster will rotate 90 degrees (or one balloon) to the right (fig. 8).

Balloon Column - Fig. 7 Balloon Column - Fig. 8

The foundation is done, now we can start building the middle and top parts of our spiral column.

Step Three

Take four 5" balloons, two of each color, and inflate them fully, again checking their size with your balloon sizer. Then tie them into pairs of two white and two peach balloons and twist them into a cluster of four, so that you have both colors directly opposite each other, as explained in step one.

Now put this cluster into position on the conduit (fig. 9), remembering that you're moving one balloon to the right on each consecutive cluster to create your spiral (fig. 10).

Balloon Column - Fig. 9 Balloon Column - Fig. 10 Balloon Column - Fig. 11

As you repeat the previous steps with your remaining 5" balloons the central spiral of the column will turn out beautifully (fig. 11).
Step Four

Step four is basically the same as step two. So, you take four 11" balloons, two white and two peach ones, and under inflate them to 8". Tie them into two pairs of the same color and twist them into a cluster of four. Then put them into position (fig. 12).

The last stage now is the final cluster. As with the base of the column this consists of two peach and two white fully inflated 11" balloons. Once twisted into your group of four, fully inflate another white 11" balloon and tie it directly to the center of the cluster.

This acts as the 'crown' of your spiral column (fig. 13). Once this is in position, make a final visual check that all the balloons are positioned snuggly and are sitting in line.

Balloon Column - Fig. 12 Balloon Column - Fig. 13

If you want to make a balloon column to mirror your first one, then just follow all the previous instructions, but for one difference: you simply move one balloon to the left, instead of to the right, on every cluster.

Balloon Column Left 

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Last modified: March 11, 2010