Get Started

There’s an emerging market for alternative decorations and giveaway items such as balloon arrangements.

Making balloon arrangements is an intricate but fun job to do. For this project, you will need the following materials to start with:

Materials:

• 1 pc canister
• 10 g plaster of Paris
• 1/2 cup tap water
• 11 yds curling ribbon
• 1 yd 1.5-inch ribbon
• 1 sheet cloth wrap (cut into halves)
• 12 pcs AV5 rubber balloons
• 1 pc AV9 foil balloon
• 1 pc AV16 clear balloon
• 5 pcs striped balloon stick with cap
• 1 pc glue stick
• Scotch tape
• Balloon shine
• 2 pcs cylindrically cut styrofoam

Other tools:

• scissors
• cutter
• glue gun
• 4-inch electric sealer
• hand pump
• compressor
• spatula or spoon.

Since the compressor is quite costly, you may instead get an airbed with pump and four nozzles.

PROCEDURE

Step 1. Start making a base or weight for your centerpiece by placing 10 g of plaster of Paris in a canister. Then pour in the tap water. Mix until the plaster dissolves completely. Let it harden for five minutes at room temperature. If the temperature at your working area is higher, the mix would harden faster; otherwise, it would need a longer time to set.

Step 2. While waiting for the base to harden, start designing the edge of the cloth wrap either by making curves or zigzag. (You may use two cloth wraps with different designs, like what we are using in this project.) To do it easily, fold the cloth wrap crosswise three times, then cut off the edges. After that, check if the base is already set.

Step 3. If the plaster has already solidified, get the two Styrofoam cylinders and insert them into the canister. Then get the cloth wraps and arrange them in a crisscross pattern. Place the base at the center, and cut 1 yd of curling ribbon. Gather the cloth wrap to cover the whole base, then tie it using the curling ribbon. Make sure it’s tied well. If there’s excess ribbon, curl it by slipping it through the scissors. After that, spread the edges of the cloth wrap by holding the tied portion while stretching each corner apart. Set the cloth wrap aside.

Step 4. Inflate an AV5 rubber balloon using a hand pump. You just need five pumps to get the desired balloon diameter of 5 inches. Avoid overinflating the balloon so it won’t burst. After inflating, twist its end and entwine in the balloon cap. Make sure that the caps are glued to the stick. Make three more balloons. If you are already done with four, get a 24-inch balloon stick with a big cap and put it at the middle of the four balloons. (Use a 12-inch stick with a small cap for AV5 balloons, and use a 24-inch stick with big cap for the AV16 balloon.) Tape the sticks. Then cut the sticks slantingly using the cutter. Get the base. Spout the glue on the tip of the sticks, then insert the sticks to your base. Set aside to let the glue dry.

Step 5. While waiting for the glue to dry, get another four AV5 rubber balloons, inflate them, and knot two balloons together. Do the same with the other two balloons. Then plait the two pairs of balloons together. Get your semi-finished centerpiece and use it to plait the four balloons to the lower part of the sticks. Do this by entwisting the nearest two balloons into the sticks. Set it aside.

Step 6. Before inflating the foil balloon, switch and turn on the sealer to number 3. Now, inflate the foil balloon. Overinflation may break the foil balloon, so check if there are still wrinkles on its edge. The wrinkles diminish as the air fills up the balloon. Seal the foil near its opening; this way, you can reuse it again by cutting the sealed portion to deflate it so it can be kept for the next use. Also remember that turning the sealer higher than no. 3 will break the foil; on the other hand, turning it lower won’t allow the balloon to seal completely.

Tie a curling ribbon at the sealed portion, and using the excess ribbon, tie it to the sticks near the base. Make sure to hide the balloon’s tail.

Step 7. Now get the AV16 clear balloon and inflate it using the compressor. Again, avoid overinflating the balloon. After inflating, don’t knot it as yet; just hold it in one hand while getting four AV5 rubber balloons and a balloon stick without cap. Insert the stick into the rubber balloon, then insert it at the tip of the clear balloon. Both ends of the rubber and the clear balloons should overlap. Take off the stick and inflate the small one while it’s inside the clear balloon. The latter can actually contain 12 AV5 rubber balloons if undersized. After inflating, stretch the end of the rubber balloon and release the bigger one. Knot the former and again, hold the end of the latter to release the rubber balloon inside the clear balloon. Do it to the rest of the rubber balloons.

Check if the clear balloon has already attained its full size; if not, pump more air using the compressor. Before entwining it unto the empty cap (the one at the center of the four rubber balloons), knot its end first. Then entwine it unto the cap.

Step 8. Cut 1 yd of a 1.5-inch ribbon and make a bow out of it. To make a bow, create loops and fold it at the center. Cut each side of the folded area and tie it with a curling ribbon. Spread each loop and twist it toward your direction. Attach the bow on the big cap using the excess curling ribbon.

For finishing, cut eight pieces of a 1-yard-long curling ribbon. Curl them using the scissors and hang them by twos to each small cap. And to keep the color of your balloons vibrant, apply the balloon shine except to the foil balloon.

Dos and don’ts

• Don’t overinflate your balloons

• Don’t apply the balloon shine to balloons containing flammable gases like hydrogen and helium.

• Don’t let your foil balloon get wet. Water can wipe out its print and color.

• Always check each balloon for holes. To do this, align the inflated balloon in a fluorescent light; if you see dark spots, the balloon has holes.

Tips:

• Make sure that the amount of water you mix to your plaster of Paris is just enough.

• Balloon shine enhances the color of your balloon. It also makes your clear balloon more transparent.

• You can still reuse your foil balloon as long as it doesn’t break.

• For more designs, use the patterns featured in Images Magazine.

• Be creative and learn how to match balloon colors appropriately.

• Always look for alternative materials to cut your costs while still maintaining the quality and beauty of your artwork.

Tip: Charish Villaseñor suggests matching the colors of the balloons with the colors printed in the foil balloon.