How to Make a Balloon Garland: 6 Steps and How Many Balloons

Aug 12, 2026

Learning how to make a balloon garland is one of the fastest ways to turn a plain wall into a photo-worthy feature, and it is far more achievable than it looks. There is no helium involved, no florist required, and no specialist training. What you do need is a plan, the right balloon sizes, and a realistic count so you are not left with a thin, gappy display an hour before guests arrive.

Here is the full step by step, plus the balloon numbers that actually work.

What you need to make a balloon garland

A DIY balloon garland needs surprisingly little. Gather balloons in three or four sizes, ideally 13cm, 25cm, 30cm and 46cm. Add a balloon garland strip, which is also sold as balloon garland tape or decorating strip. Then add glue dots for filling gaps, a balloon pump, and hooks, cable ties or fishing line for hanging.

Our balloon garland kits bundle almost all of this together. A typical Luna kit includes balloons in a coordinated palette, a 5m chain strip, a knot tying tool and 100 glue dots, so the only decision left is where to hang it. If you are buying pieces separately, the balloon kits and fairy lights range stocks both the manual and electric balloon pump options along with the strips.

Skip the helium. Air-filled garlands hold their shape for days, cost far less, and can be built the night before.

How to make a balloon garland step by step

Sort by size and colour. Lay everything out in piles before you inflate anything. Garlands look expensive when the colour distribution is deliberate rather than random.
Inflate in batches. Work through one size at a time and do not inflate to full stretch. Balloons filled to about 80 percent stay rounder and are far less likely to pop when pushed together. An electric balloon pump will get through 100 balloons in minutes, while a hand pump suits smaller setups.
Thread the largest balloons first. This is how to use balloon garland tape properly: push the knot of a 30cm or 46cm balloon through a hole in the strip, then alternate the direction of each balloon, left, right, left, right, so the garland builds outwards into a cluster rather than lying flat against the wall.
Work in clusters of four. Group balloons in fours as you thread, mixing sizes within each cluster. This single technique separates a professional-looking garland from a plain string of balloons.
Fill the gaps with your smallest balloons. Once the strip is full you will see holes. Attach 13cm balloons into those gaps with glue dots. This is what gives a garland its dense, textured finish.
Add the extras last. Once the shape is right, tuck in greenery, florals or fairy lights.

How many balloons do you need for a balloon garland?

This is the question that trips people up. The reliable rule is 20 to 35 balloons per metre.

Around 20 to 22 per metre gives an easy balloon garland with light, visible spacing. Between 25 and 30 per metre is the standard full look most people picture. Anything from 30 to 35 per metre creates the dense, organic style you see in styled shoots.

For reference, Luna's 5m kits range from roughly 104 to 167 balloons, which lands squarely inside that band. Scale it to your space:

2m table garland: 45 to 60 balloons
3m doorway or wall run: 70 to 90 balloons
5m backdrop or balloon garland arch: 110 to 150 balloons
8m double arch or long feature wall: 180 to 250 balloons

Always buy about 10 percent more than your final count. A few will pop, and one or two will look wrong once inflated.

How to hang a balloon garland

Weight is the real issue. A 5m garland is light in your hands but pulls hard at its anchor points once full.

For walls, use three to five removable hooks and secure the strip to them with cable ties. For freestanding displays, a balloon garland frame or balloon garland stand from our backdrops, arches and stands range gives you a reusable structure for every event you style. Round mesh frames suit organic shapes, and a wedding arch carries the weight across its span without sagging in the middle.

Anchor both ends first, then adjust the centre. Garlands are meant to curve, so resist the urge to pull them straight.

Simple balloon garland styling ideas

A bare garland reads like a birthday party. To lift it towards wedding or corporate territory, build a balloon garland with flowers by threading greenery garlands through the clusters so foliage spills out between the balloons. Eucalyptus and ivy soften the plastic finish immediately.

Pair it with a flower wall or greenery wall behind for depth, or run it along the top edge of a ceiling and wall display for a wraparound effect. Fairy lights woven in behind the balloons handle evening receptions.

Build it the day before, keep it out of direct sun, and it will still look sharp when the first guests walk in.