Balloon decorating kits can be a great time and
money saver AND produce a stunning decor for your party ... if you know
which ones to choose. Our reviews of the most common types of balloon
kits will help you find your perfect kit-fit for each event.
You could categorize the kits by occasion
(decorations for weddings, birthdays, christenings etc.) or by
complexity and price. We will go with the latter and talk about three
different types of balloon decoration kits:
Basic
Intermediate
Advanced
Basic - Price
range $15 to $25 (excluding helium)
The most basic balloon decorating kit would be a helium
tank plus 30 to 50 assorted latex balloons. If you plan a
kids party, and want to spruce up the room with multi-coloured balloons
floating beneath the ceiling, plus have a little give away for each of
the kids, then this product is for you. One bonus here is that the
necessary helium to fill the balloons is included, which is not the
case for most balloon kits on the market.
The second type in the basic category would be
balloon centerpieces. Most common are bouquets with three balloons,
similar to our Bouquet
Simple & Elegant. For less than 20$ you can get 10
sets including balloons, ribbons, weights and instruction sheet. But
you will need to get the helium extra.
Similarly in price and level of difficulty are
kits for creating a 'String of Pearls Arch' - a single row of floating
latex balloons aligned along a fishing line. Alternatively you could
use the so-called Link-o-Loon balloons to create a single balloon arch.
Link-o-Loons have specially designed ends to tie the balloons to each
other.
Where to get them
A good place to shop for these basic balloon decorating kits is Ebay.
Search for
or
.
This is just one of the many
colour combinations that you will find at "Celebration
Moment". The clear balloons come with different imprints, depending on
the occasion (birthday, engagement, wedding, christening).
Apart from 15 high quality latex balloons, the
kit contains 15 lenghts of colour matching curling ribbon, 5 weight
boxes and step-by-step instructions. All for the price of £7.99 (plus
shipping £2.49).
One caveat though: "Celebration Moment" ships
their products to UK addresses only.
Intermediate -
Price range $20 to $50 (excluding helium)
Here you'll find mainly balloon
sculptures of different shapes and sizes: hearts, stars
or bells, for example. The sets contain the metal frames, balloons,
sizing templates and instructions.
Building this kind of decors requires a bit more
skills and time than the basic ones, but it's a great way to learn how
to do balloon sculptures. You won't need helium here, but remember that
you will have to blow up 180 to 280 balloons. So you either need some
balloon pumps and lots of friends to help, or you hire an electrical
balloon inflator.
A completely different type of balloon decorating
kit, but nonetheless one with great effect, would be a balloon
drop ensemble. This typically contains a balloon net,
instructions for use and 150 to 400 latex balloons, depending on the
size of the net and the size of the balloons (either 5" or 10"). The
most time consuming part in preparing a balloon drop is to blow up the
balloons. But it's worth the effort!
Where to get them
I would again recommend to start your search at Ebay. Try different
search terms, like
,
and
. Not only can you get good bargains there, but you also have the
advantage that Ebay is international, which gives you a good chance to
find a seller in your country.
A lovely backdrop decoration for
the head table at your wedding or party, this kit comes
with 60 x 11" high quality latex balloons, 4 x metallic finish weight
boxes in either gold or silver, monofilament line, colour coordinating
curling ribbon and a detailed instruction leaflet.
You can choose from 10 satin pearl and 11
metallic pearl colours to suit your taste and style. Price for the
whole kit: £17.99 (about $28.57). Shipping costs vary by destination,
and start at $6.40 for airmail delivery to the US.
Advanced -
Price range $60 to $160 (excluding helium)
If you'd like to impress your guests with a walk
through arch or heart, then the advanced balloon
decorating kits are the way to go. The arches are typically 9 to 10'
(2.75 to 3m) high and 4 to 10' (1.20 to 3m) wide. Themes range from
patriotic to school colours, from Hollywood to romantic.
Be sure to read the description carefully, as
some designs require helium and others include a frame so that you can
use air filled balloons. If you want your arch to last for longer than
one evening I would recommend to choose the balloon decorating kits
with air filled balloons, because helium filled latex balloons will
only float for 12 to 24 hours (unless treated with Hi-Float).
Where to get them ShindigZ.com has by far the largest
selection of this type of balloon decorating kits. They are an American
owned family business founded in 1926 and pride themselves in having
over 20 million parties served. They ship internationally, with
shipping rates starting at $7.95 for Standard Delivery within the US.
