Balloons are, hands down, one of the easiest ways to decorate. They don’t take a lot of time, and with a little imagination, they can make a huge impact. Plus, you can keep your tables mostly clear for folks to talk without being blocked by flowers. Tabitha, the talented design force behind LA-based Winston & Main, designed these for anyone looking for a centerpiece that will draw the eye up, who doesn’t want to spend a million dollars on things like fancy tall urns. They work just as well for holiday parties as for weddings (obvs). For the average table, you should plan on using two or three large balloons over the table, to spell out a phrase or a few words. Brainstorming of phrases to spell out in the comments! Meet you there!
Materials:
- 2 36” Balloons
- 4” Gold Vinyl Letters
- Gold Ribbon
- Paper Circles (or other shapes, punched or cut from card stock or leftover wrapping paper)
- Glue Stick
Directions:
1. Decorate your strings. Leave a few inches at one end of the ribbon to attach it to your balloon, then cover a circle with glue, lay the ribbon in the middle, and sandwich it with another circle. Continue adding circles every few inches until you reach the end
of the ribbon.
2. Blow up your balloons with helium and attach your fancy gold ribbon as strings. Now you can eyeball where you might like your word or phrase.
3. Peel and stick your letters onto the balloon. Rub gently to secure. Done.
4. To display your balloons, tape them directly to your table and/or use weights to hold them in place—Tabitha used gold gourds, but you could use any decorative item.
Modifications:
1. You can line up balloons to form quotes or short phrases.
2. Add as many or as few circles as you like to the embellished strings—maybe more for balloons decorating a dessert table or bar and less for balloons going in the center of a dining table and obscuring conversation.
3. Use the balloons as photo props—a giant “thank you” balloon would make a great pic for your thank you cards!
Tips & Tricks:
1. You can use a piece of painters tape as a guide if you are having trouble lining up a word.
2. You can use a little piece of rolled up scotch tape between the balloons to keep them stuck together with the words facing the direction you want. (Be careful removing the scotch tape though, it might pop your balloon.)
3. Shop around for helium. Balloon Stores have quoted me ridiculous prices for a single giant balloon. Like $20 per balloon craziness. BUT Tabitha’s local craft store will do them for a cool 75 cents each! She’s also had good luck with the 99 cent store. For reference, they are three times the size of a regular balloon, so the helium shouldn’t be more than three times as expensive.
