© Cloolis101| Flickr.com

Your 4th of July decorations won't be complete without a feast of red, white and blue balloons. Our ideas will inspire you to celebrate the most colorful Independence Day ever.

A lot of the celebrations take place outdoors, so a general rule is to go with air filled decorations on a fixed frame whenever possible.

• Don't use pearlized colours - they oxidize faster.
• Use light colors rather than dark ones (dark colors will pop more easily when the temperature rises) ... but of course you will have to go with red and blue along with white for the 4th of July.
• Use the largest balloons possible and underinflate them by at least two inches (e.g. use 14" balloons if you want to blow them up to 11" size).
• Try to inflate the balloons at about the same temperature they will have to endure (e.g. inflate them in the sun if they will be in a sunny place).
• Use heavy weights - at least quadruple the weight you would use for the same decor indoors.

Ceiling in Red, White and Blue

© Lovely Lozenge| Flickr.com

Our first idea however is for an indoor 4th of July decoration. One of the easiest and often overlooked ways to decorate a room is to inflate 11" latex balloons with helium, attach color matching curling ribbons to them and let them float beneath the ceiling.

For a more professional look, use a balloon sizer to blow them all up to the same size.

All you need is a Patriotic Balloon Assortment, color matching curling ribbon and a Disposable Helium Tank.

Patriotic Balloon Arch

© Leah| Flickr.com

The red, white and blue balloons will make a beautiful spiral pattern for your balloon arch. The DIY people can find instructions how to create a spiral balloon arch from scratch.

If you prefer to get a ready made kit, complete with metal frame, weights and balloons for assembly, the Radiant Balloon Arch Kit could be right for you. You have free choice of colors with this set. Two colors of balloons are included, so you just need to add the third color and you are all set for your patriotic balloon arch.

Hanging Balloon Ball

© Andee64| Flickr.com

As long as you have a lamp post, a ceiling beam or a tree branch to attach them to, you can make use of the stunning effect of these balloon balls for your 4th of July decorations.

They are made of three balloon clusters where each cluster has four balloons. Inflate the balloons with air and tie ribbons to their necks. Build clusters of 4 balloons with them as described on our "Spiral Column" page.

Then you need to put the three clusters of four balloons tightly together to achieve the ball shape. Use one or two of the ribbons to attach the ball to the roof of your patio or a tree branch. Let the other ribbons hang down to get the nice "tail" effect as seen on the photo.

You can find both plain and star patterned balloons for bargain prices at Ebay.

Patriotic Balloon Release

© Laz & Didi| Flickr.com

What could be a better highlight for your 4th of July Celebrations than watching hundreds of white, blue and red balloons rise to the skies ... as a powerful symbol for the freedom that arose on Independence Day.

I would strongly advise to hire a professional company to organize the balloon release. Not only will they have the right equipment (balloon net, high quality latex balloons, big helium tanks, race cards), but they will also know about the environmental impact and how to keep any negative effect to a minimum. Additionally, you might need to get permission from the Civil Aviation Authority prior to the release.

To get an idea about what is involved in preparing for such an event, have a look at the following step-by-step instructions for a balloon release.

We hope our little collection inspired you to create the most stunning 4th of July decorations ever!

If you still need more inspiration, why not check out Shindigz' 4th of July Party Supplies and save 10% on any order of $100+.

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