Balloon San Diego- How to make a balloon arch

[miafuertes21]

nice work!!!learned a lot from your video!!!!more power!!!

[sandiballoon]

@miafuertes21 Thanks! I hope to put up some more videos soon... stay tuned :-)

[miafuertes21]

nice work!!!learned a lot from ur vid!!!!more power!!!

[WolfX17]

When creating a column with attaching the balloons to a pole do we use string to keep the balloons stable on the pole or will merely slightly wrapping them around the pole suffice?

[sandiballoon]

@WolfX17 If you're attaching the balloons to a pole you can wrap them directly onto the pole. There is no need to put them on string first. Just make sure that you lock each cluster to the pole by twisting the balloons around each other so that the pole gets trapped inside. :-)

[msnetta66]

i notice with attached the balloons on the strings after its done can you position your arch with string and tape to form the arch

[sandiballoon]

@msnetta66 If you want a professional look, I wouldn't recommend trying to do it with strings and tape. :-) It's really best if you build it on a string (either fishing line or dacron line) and then put it on weights. The lift of the helium against the achors that hold it down give it the arch shape.

[msjuicy504]

cont...is there an certain amount of ballons you use to make a arch like this one?

[msjuicy504]

love this how do you make the white columns to hold up the ballons and also what kind of string is it that you use?

[Stephanie4866]

hi can you help me bye telling me what i will need

[Stephanie4866]

did you put helium in the red and yellow balloons and did you use curling ribbon to make the arch

[sandiballoon]

Thank you! @yachiru0peanut , @psyduckuk, @kiutyshorti - I appreciate your kind words. Let me know if there's anything you'd like a vid on... :-)

[msjuicy504]

@sandiballoon may you do a video on balloon pacifiers or balloon baby bottle iam decorating a babyshower and would love to do those

[yachiru0peanut]

Ohhh...ok so the balloons along the arch are helium filled...aww..I wanted to make one for my sister's party..I guess I'll settle for columns x3

great vid by the way..so simple and easy to understand

[psyduckuk]

love this vid!!! wish we had classes over in france to do this!!

[missannelle]

How can i do a column without a base?

[sandiballoon]

@missannelle The only way that you could do a column without a base would be to helium fill it and anchor it to water weights or something. It has to be anchored in some way- either a base or weights. :-)

[rudycap27]

I really like your video.

How big are the balloons?

Can that size be used to make a column?

Thanks for your help.

[sandiballoon]

@rudycap27 sorry it took me a while to get back to you. The balloons are sized to about 10.5" or so. Yes, that size can also be used to make a column, but usually I'll make them just a little smaller for a column, since I'm using a baseplate and pole, the balloons don't need the lift of the helium, so I prefer them to be a little squishier- maybe 9.5- 10". The balloons are 11" balloons (if they were fully inflated), and the brand that I mostly use is Qualatex. :-)

[kiutyshorti]

i love the video other videos dont really explain it ass good as urs

[campanitabonita69]

wow this is a coll video, with the last column you made using the chair to make it. were do you tie the 2 ends. and what are the water weights?

[sandiballoon]

@campanitabonita69 You can either tie the ends to bricks, free weights, 2.5 gallon water bottles, anything that has a couple of pounds of weight and that you can tie onto. Water weights are balloons that are filled with water (not water balloons). Usually you would want to double stuff the balloons (put one inside the other, before you put water in them), just in case there is a little hole- you wouldn't want to flood your venue ! :-)

[juliawilliams4]

if the party is on a saturday when should i start getting the ballons blown up and to together and where can i buy the sticks to make the columns

[sandiballoon]

@juliawilliams4 Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner- you can buy all the materials to make columns at home depot. See the comment and reply at the end (or beginning... it was one of the first). If you are making the arch from helium then you don't need the baseplate and poles, you can just attach it to a brick, or freeweight, or even a 2.5 gallon water bottle. :-) Cheers! Sandi

[JETICOAN]

When you were making the balloon arch tied to the chairs..I don't understand how you got that form in the middle..I made a balloon arch air-filled it didn't have the shape in the middle...I use #50 fishing line tied the ends to chairs but it didn't make the arch form in the middle...What did I do wrong?

[sandiballoon]

@JETICOAN The problem that you had is that you were using air, not helium. The arch gets its shape from the pull of the helium against the anchors. If you want to make an air-filled arch, you would need to frame it. (Build it on a frame)

[kalazebrastripes]

What happens when you run out of the string? or shuld it be long enough to fit in the begenning?

[sandiballoon]

@kalazebrastripes I would always start wih a full spool of arch line (or fishing line). If you run out, you could always tie more on to the end, but then you want to be careful that you're making a solid knot that can take the pull the balloons will put on it.

[msjuicy504]

@sandiballoon may u use the balloon ribbon in place of the fishing lin?

[sandiballoon]

@msjuicy504 It's really not recommended to use ribbon as it doesn't really hold the shape so well. You could use dacron line though. But both are easily found at wal-mart anyway. :-)

[popcornzoe]

Thanks, this was really helpful (: This charity at my school is organizing a Masquerade Ball for Valentine's Day next year and I'm on the committee, and this helps us keep in the budget (:

My question, though, is how long would it take to make a helium-filled arch? There are about ten of us, more or less, setting this up.

[sandiballoon]

@popcornzoe My pleasure :-)

As or the length of time, it really depends on how fast your team can blow and tie and get it all assembled. Every team works at a different pace. The best thing to do is to allow yourself plenty of time and then take it easy if you finish too early ;-)

[alessbriananaid]

how many balloons do you need?

[sandiballoon]

@alessbriananaid - the number of balloons that you need depends on the size of the balloons, how big you are inflating them, and how long the arch is. I usually figure between 6-8 balloons per linear foot, but that 's a very rough estimte and not based on real math. :-)

[EAC1215]

could you make a tower using air filled balloons?

Because you don't really need the lift to form an arch, you just need the height.

[sandiballoon]

@EAC1215 Yes, you can make columns with air-filled balloons, but unless you have a baseplate and a pole, it's not very stable. Another way to make columns would be to have the top balloons helium filled and the bottom balloons air-filled, and attach it to water weights. But really for air-filled decor, it's best to have some sort of inner structure.

[4leaveclover12345]

can you make a ballon arch with air filled balloons or just helium

[sandiballoon]

@4leaveclover12345 - yes, you can, but it would need to be framed. An air-filled arch on fishing line doesn't have any lift, so it won't form an arch shape. If you were to hang the two ends, however, it would form a nice swag. A great option for ceiling decor.

[MarvelousMasks]

Great,I was wondering how that was done. okay... so my question is where do you get the ground weights?

[sandiballoon]

@MarvelousMasks - my favorite three kinds of weights come from very exotic specialty stores.... wal-mart, home depot and the grocery store. I use bricks (nicely wrapped of course), 2.5 gallon water containers, and free weights (like for barbels). Just make sure it's nicely wrapped in some mylar paper or even plastic tablecloth. :-)

[MarvelousMasks]

@sandiballoon oh, duh...lol, but what about that plate thing with the pole sticking out of it?

[sandiballoon]

@MarvelousMasks - looking for all my secrets, eh? The poles come from Home Depot or an industrial metal supply shop, depending on how lightweight or heavy I need them. The baseplates are specially made, but you can make your own with a 2' x 2' piece of wood- NOT pressboard, a flange (home depot) and a screw thing to put on the end of the pole and screw into the flange (I don't know what it's called, but the home depot guy should...) Hope this helps :-)