11 Fun Ways to Use Balloons to Decorate a Room for a Birthday Party

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Add some festive, colorful flair to your party's venue

Co-authored by Natasha Miller

Last Updated: April 2, 2024 References

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Creating Decorations

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Accenting the Balloons

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Tips

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Things You'll Need

Balloons are a must-have for any birthday bash! Blow up your balloons using your mouth, an air pump, or a helium tank. Then, attach them together to make decorations such as a balloon arch, garland, or bunch. In addition, you can decorate balloons to add personal touches to your celebration. Pick colors based on your theme, and use your creativity to create custom decorations with balloons.

Things You Should Know

Make a balloon arch by tying balloons to a large wire. Position the arch in a doorway to greet guests with a pop of color.
Tie several balloons to a string to make vibrant streamers, or tie groups of balloons into bunches to make fun hanging decorations.
Tie a small yellow balloon to a string. Then, tie 5 balloons of another color around the yellow balloon to make an inflatable flower arrangement.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating Decorations with Balloons

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1
Make a balloon arch for an attractive entryway decoration. Purchase a balloon arch kit to easily make your base, or cut a long piece of wire with wire cutters to make your own. Put the base into position wherever you’d like in the room. Tie 2 balloons together at the tails, and attach the pair of balloons with another pair to form a cluster. Tie the cluster of balloons onto your balloon arch using fishing line, and continue to fill the arch with clusters of balloons until it is completely covered.^{[1]
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- This creates a festive archway or accent piece.
- Use balloons in your color scheme so everything matches. For instance, if throwing a party for a young boy, use red, blue, and green.
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Secure numerous balloons to a piece of string to make an attractive garland. Cut a piece of string or yarn to the size you’d like your garland to be. Thread 1 end of the string through a yarn needle, and pierce the needle through the plastic tail of the balloon. Scoot the balloon down the string, and add several more balloons to fill the garland. Use tape to secure both ends of the garland to a wall, table, or doorway.^{[2]
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- Once you hang the garland, you can reposition the balloons as you’d like.
- For instance, make a 5 ft (1.5 m) balloon garland and hang it around your cake and gift table.
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Group several balloons into bunches to make a colorful accent. To make round balloon decorations, blow up several balloons using a hand pump and tie them at the end. Then, pierce a zip tie through the tail of 1 balloon. Continue piercing the tails of the remaining balloons until they are all attached to the zip tie. Connect the zip tie ends, and pull it as tight as you can. Hang the cluster of balloons to the walls or from the ceiling using clear string.^{[3]
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- Use 1 color of balloons for each cluster, and make 3-5 different balloon clusters for a colorful, festive decoration.
- Use more or less balloons based on your personal preference.
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Create giant balloon flowers if hosting a spring-themed birthday party. Use 1 yellow balloon for the center and 5 colored balloons to make the petals. Blow up all of your balloons, and knot them at the end. Then, attach 5 petal balloons by tying 2 pairs together at a time. Then, push the yellow balloon into the center, and twist the tail of the balloon around the other tails to form the flower.^{[4]
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- Make multiple flowers in several colors if you want a bright, cheery decoration.
- Once you create your flower, tie it to a stick to make your stem.
- Tape the flower to the wall to create an all-over display.
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Tape balloons of various sizes to the wall for a creative choice. Blow up some large balloons, medium balloons, and small balloons to make your display. Then, use 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) sized pieces of double-sided tape to attach the balloons to the wall. Arrange the different sized balloons randomly across the wall for an all-over decoration.^{[5]
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- This is a great idea if you want to cover a large space.
- Use balloons of various shades of the same colors to create a monochrome look. For example, pick light blue balloons for your smallest size, royal blue for the medium size, and dark blue for the largest size.
EXPERT TIP

Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner
Natasha Miller is an Event Planner, Chief Experience Designer, and President of Entire Productions, an event and entertainment production company based in San Francisco, California. Notable clients Natasha has collaborated with include Apple, Google, Gap, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Salesforce. Natasha and Entire Productions has been awarded Inc. 5,000's "Fastest Growing Companies in America", Entrepreneur Magazine's 360 List of "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America." Entire Productions is also a Certified Women Business Enterprise. Natasha is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI).

Natasha Miller
Professional Event Planner

Be sure you have permission to use balloons if the party is at a venue. Some venues absolutely do not allow things like balloons, glitter, confetti, or streamers. If those are a big part of your party design, make sure you ask permission or read the venue rules and regulations closely to make sure you don't have any surprises when you go to set up the event.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Accenting the Balloons

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1
Paint the balloons to add personal detail and decorations. Whether you are hanging balloons from the wall or creating colorful displays, feel free to grab some acrylic paint and a small paintbrush to add unique touches. Pick your accents based on the theme of the party.^{[6]
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- For example, you can paint the number your child is turning onto the balloon, add polka dots all over, or paint smiley faces on each one.
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Tie decorative ribbon or string to your balloons to embellish them. You can essentially decorate the string of your balloon however you’d like! Use washi tape in your party colors for a quick accent. Rip small 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) pieces and fold them over the string. Add a piece of string every 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) until you reach the end. Or, tie multiple pieces of ribbon 5–8 in (13–20 cm)long to the tail of the balloon for a bit of color.
- You can tie single balloons filled with helium to the back of each chair, for example.
- In addition, you can tie glitter garland to the string of your balloon for an instant upgrade.
3
Put a glow stick inside each balloon to create a glowing display. Before you blow up the balloon, bend a glowstick back and forth to make it glow, and place it inside the balloon. Then, blow up your balloon as normal, knot the bottom when it is full, and tie on a string.^{[7]
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- This makes your balloons glow in the dark, which can be a fun addition to a birthday celebration.
- This is a great idea if you are hosting a laser tag party, for instance.
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Attach a paper cone to the balloon to make an ice cream decoration. Gather 1 piece of brown construction paper for each balloon you inflate. Twist the paper into a cone shape, and use a stapler to secure it into place. Then, slip the string of your balloon through the cone, and reposition it overtop the tail end. Place a few dots of craft glue along the top edge of the “cone” to secure it onto the balloon.^{[8]
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- Do this for each of your individual balloons to make a fun, summery decoration.
- This is a great idea if you are hosting a party at a swim club, for example.
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Use pieces of paper to turn your balloons into pieces of fruit. First, pick out which fruit you’d like to make. You can make fruit including pineapples, grapes, and bananas. Then, draw a stem or small details onto a piece of construction paper, and cut out the design to decorate the balloons. Secure your balloons with double-sided tape to create the general shape, then tape the leaves and stem details to the balloon where you attach the string.^{[9]
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- For example, to make a bunch of grapes, inflate 4-8 purple balloons. Draw a leaf on a green piece of construction paper, and tape it to the top of the bunch.
- Do this if you want to create a tropical themed party.
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Tie a balloon onto goodie bags to add a festive touch. Blow up 1 balloon with a hand pump or a helium tank, and tie the tail of the balloon so it stays in place. Then, attach a 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m) string or ribbon to the tail of the balloon. Tie the string to the handles of the goodie bags if giving them away to your guests.^{[10]
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- This is a great way to add decoration to your party room while offering each guest something fun.

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Things You’ll Need

Balloons
Air pump or helium tank
Scissors
Ribbon
Tape
Paper
String
Markers
Paint

Tips

Use your mouth to blow up balloons if you are only using a few.

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Select an air pump to inflate many balloons with ease.

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Go for a helium tank if you want the balloons to float on their own.

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Warnings

If you are decorating a rental party space, be sure to check clean-up instructions before you leave. Some reservations require you to clean up the balloons before you leave, while others will clean up the leftovers for you.

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If you over-inflate the balloons, they pop. Be mindful of how much air you add once the balloon is mostly inflated.

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