Are you looking for a festive photo backdrop for your special event? And, do you also happen to be on a budget? Well, you don’t have to hold your breath. Because one easy way to inject some serious oomph into your decor (without breaking the bank) is to incorporate balloons. And by balloons, we mean LOTS of balloons. Read on to find out how to make an affordable and awesome balloon backdrop.
This project goes much faster with a few people, but one person can handle it. Two of us made this festive display in less than four hours.
You’ll need some supplies:
- Garment Rack or Arch
- Scissors
- Tape
- Balloons
- Ribbon
- Balloon Blower Upper Machine
Purchase balloons in the color palette of your choice. Get various sizes, too. We got ours at Party City for about $50. We chose rose gold, gold, and ivory for our theme. For our project, we used several 12″ and 9″ balloons and two jumbo balloons.
You’ll need some ribbon. You can use any kind you have on hand as long as it is a complimentary color. If you need to purchase ribbon, get about 60 yards. Check Walmart’s fabric department for clearance ribbon. You can get what you need for right at $8.
You’ll need to blow up several hundred balloons. You can do this…the hard way, by blowing them up yourself…or the easy way by using a handy electric inflator!
We highly recommend getting The Balloon Buddy to inflate your balloons.
Once you have a few balloons inflated it’s time to start attaching them to your garment rack. We found the easiest way to accomplish this is by tying a length of ribbon around the knotted end of a balloon.
Then tie on another balloon a few inches down from the first one. Repeat this until you have three or four balloons on your ribbon.
Next, you’ll want to tie your ribbon of balloons onto your rack. (Or arch. Or a wall.)
Keep tying balloons to ribbon in groups of three or four. Then secure them onto the rack. Feel free to scoot the balloons around a bit so they nest together prettily.
Repeat, using a combination of colors, and you’ll begin to see some amazing results.
You can start at one end, or jump around. We usually tie the balloons on one side then the other to keep it looking balanced.
And before you know it your balloon backdrop begins to take shape.
Make sure you move your garment rack or arch to its final position before you finish it. Once you fill in the bottom you won’t be able to move it very easily.
Once you have your rack mostly covered with balloons, you’ll want to fill in any holes with balloons. For this part, we simply tape a single balloon in any space that looks like it needs a little help. We also like to let some balloons spill luxuriously over onto the floor.
And, voila! Just like that, you have an amazing display of awesomeness that will last for several weeks.
In our experience, people love to pose (and dance) (and be extra) in front of and behind balloon displays.
If you have any questions, please email us at thegildedgown@gmail.com. We’d love to assist you with your very own balloon backdrop! Just be prepared for people to go crazy having fun posing with it!
