How to Make Your Own Balloon Arch
When it comes to party decorations, you can’t beat the humble balloon. They’re fun, flexible, inexpensive and always heartwarming to look at. Best of all, there are a million ways to decorate with them! From gorgeously classy balloon garlands to creative shapes and clusters to just blowing up as many as can fit in your space — there’s room for balloons in almost any event’s decor theme.
One style of balloon decoration that’s been growing in popularity — and for good reason — is the breathtaking balloon arch. This fabulous balloon decoration can be the perfect framing decor, the centrepiece for your event, or just add a little flair where you need it.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at this stunning decoration and how you can take your event to the next level by making your own.
What is a balloon arch?
Like with many decor pieces, there are as many forms of balloon arches as can be imagined. At the basic level, a balloon arch is a bow-shaped structure either made from or decorated with balloons. They’re similar to balloon garlands, as they’re usually built around some solid structure like wire or a standing frame, and be large enough for your guests to walk under, used to frame an entrance or stage, or even as a small table decoration.
However you can think to build one, balloon arches are always a guaranteed eye-catcher!
What do you need to make a balloon arch?
While there are plenty of ways to make a balloons arch, there are some basic elements you might need to get started.
Balloons - The first and most obvious element of a balloon arch is the balloons. While that might seem obvious, there’s actually a lot to consider when you’re picking out balloons for your arch. Try thinking about your colour scheme, whether you want small or large balloons, or a mix of both. Balloons come in different textures as well, like metallic, matte, clear and more. Getting a solid idea before you collect supplies will help the whole process go smoothly.
Balloon tape and wire - Balloon tape is a specially-made plastic strip perfect for building a balloon arch. This long tape makes creating your arch super easy, as it’s designed to hold your balloons firmly in place and evenly space them out. It’s also clear and hardly noticeable, though if you’re looking for something really slick, then the thinner balloon wire is great. Although a little more fiddly to use, balloon wire is almost completely invisible to the average observer, and will help your arch to look flawless.
Solid arch structures - Solid structures are a great alternative to tape and wire arches and can make building your balloon arches so easy. These can be wire mesh arches, which allow you to be a little more free-form with how you build your arch, or they can be free-standing arches, perfect for framing doorways or photo backdrops. These arches are also perfect for making 3-dimensional archways that can look fantastic in the middle of a space.
Balloon glue dots - If you’re building your balloon arch against a flat backdrop like a wall, you may need a little extra help to hold your balloons in place. Glue dots are the perfect choice in this case. These discrete dots have two sticky sides, so one can adhere to a spot on the wall, with the other gently attached to a balloon. Use this to anchor a couple of balloons across the arch and it will much more easily keep shape.
Accessories - Once you have your basic balloon arch idea sorted, you can start getting creative! You can really glam up your balloon arch by threading a bit of foliage amongst the balloons. A couple of blossoms here and there can also up the wow factor. When it comes to accessorising your balloon arches, your imagination is the limit!
If you’re looking to make the process super easy, check out some of these gorgeous balloon kits. Complete with a huge, multi-coloured set of balloons, balloon tape and glue dots, these kits make creating a gorgeous balloon arch a fun and hassle-free process.
Different kinds of balloon arches
You might have guessed that with so many different ways to make balloon arches, that naturally, there is a huge variety of styles out there already. Here are just a few types of balloon arches for you to check out before you get started on your own balloon masterpiece.
String of Pearls arch - This type of balloon arch is usually comprised of a single line of balloons, sort of like the jewellery they’re named after. While rather more thin than many other styles of arch, this types is perfect for when you need something a little classy, and you’re able to use structural help, like a solid wire frame, or a wall with glue dots.
Organic arch - Similar to balloon garlands, organic arches have more of a natural, flowing shape than traditional balloon arches. They can be perfect if you’re looking to integrate foliage, natural structures or flowers into your balloon arch, as they themselves weave and wind like vines.
Structured arch - These are balloon arches built around some solid structure. That might be a free-standing wire frame, a mesh wall or even a wooden arbour. The advantage of these arches is that they are often a little more robust than traditional arches, which makes them perfect for the outdoors.
Clustered arch - These arches are all about texture! Instead of stringing a bunch of uniform balloons along side by side, these arches are made with balloons of many different sizes. With clustered arches, your creativity is the only limit to the overall look and feel of your arch. Combine a bunch of small balloons with a few larger ones at the base of your arch for a natural, grape-bunch-style look that is just gorgeous.
Whatever kind of event you’re hosting, balloon arches are a brilliant way to add life, flair and a splash of fun to the party. While always eye-catching, balloon arches are often surprisingly inexpensive as well. With just a little imagination and vision, you can make something that your guests won’t soon forget.
Be sure to follow Luna Wedding & Event Supplies on Instagram for gorgeous decor ideas, and to see our amazing decorations and products in action.
‘Til next month xx
