Join BloonsUp News and get your FREE balloon arch tutorial, extra tips, discounts & more!

Why won't my vinyl stay flat stuck to my balloon?

by Claire
(Scotland)

Vinyl on Balloons: Share or pin for later [Image credit: thefloristmarket.com | @lovefactorybga]

Vinyl on Balloons: Share or pin for later [Image credit: thefloristmarket.com | @lovefactorybga]

After adding vinyl to my balloon, about 10 mins later it had all shriveled up, any tips? Or what am I doing wrong?

ANSWER

Hi Claire,

Sorry to hear about your problems when personalizing balloons with vinyl.

Which balloons did you use? Vinyl works best on foil or bubble balloons.

You can also apply it on latex balloons. However, this is a bit trickier because latex balloons are "rounder" (i.e. have a stronger curve). And latex balloons will loose air (or helium) faster and therefore shrink faster than bubble or foil balloons.

It takes a lot of practice to get the vinyl properly onto the latex balloon.

The video below is a great tutorial. The instructor shares an excellent tip at around 6:50 minutes into the video: she repeatedly cuts the transfer paper up to the vinyl letters so that it curves easier around the balloon.



How to Put Vinyl on Balloons: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best vinyl for balloons?


Two good types of vinyl to use for balloons are Cricut Premium Adhesive Vinyl Permanent and Oracal 651 Permanent Vinyl.

How do you transfer vinyl to balloons?


To transfer the vinyl decal to the balloon, you need to use a transfer tape. Cut a piece of transfer tape in the same size as your vinyl sticker. Place it with the sticky side down onto the printed vinyl design.

Use a squeegee to apply the transfer paper evenly and to avoid creating any bubbles or wrinkles.

Choose a transfer tape that's labeled as low or medium (standard) grip, like these two products below:





Can you put stickers on balloons?


Yes! Vinyl stickers are a fantastic way to personalize balloons. You can put stickers on foil, latex or bubble balloons.

Bubble and latex balloons have to be inflated before applying the stickers. With mylar balloons, the vinyl can be applied before or after inflating the balloon.

Why is my vinyl coming off my balloon?


Applying vinyl to a balloon takes practice. Even the pros tend to struggle with it from time to time!

Here are some tips to make sure that the decal sticks to the balloon:

* Use permanent high quality vinyl from reputable brands like Cricut.

* Use transfer paper that's not too "sticky." These are labeled as low or medium tack or grip.

* Apply the decal only to fully inflated balloons when working with bubble or latex balloons.

* Remove the transfer tape very very slowly, especially when you're a beginner. If you go too fast, the balloon might pop or you tear off not just the transfer paper but the vinyl as well.

* Put the vinyl on the balloon shortly before the party or balloon delivery, if at all possible. Balloons (especially latex balloons) shrink over time as they lose air. Helium escapes even faster. When the balloon shrinks, your pretty vinyl sticker will start to shrivel or develop bubbles.

Comments for Why won't my vinyl stay flat stuck to my balloon?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Reply to Vinyl on bobo balloons
by: Margit

Hi there!

I am sorry to hear that the vinyl starts to shrivel after a few hours on your bobo balloon.

I don't really have any other tips than the ones I've given in my answer to Claire and in the comments on this page.

Take a look at this video by QCorner, starting at about 1:10 hours into the video. It may give you some ideas how to solve the problem.


Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Vinyl on bobo balloons
by: Anonymous

My vinyl on my Bobo balloons starts to shrivel up and become messy after a couple of hours😭😭😭help please!!

Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Reply to "Bubbles"
by: Margit

So sorry to hear about the issue with bubbles appearing in your vinyl.

Have you tried the tip shown in the video above? The advice was to cut the transfer paper up to the vinyl letters so that it curves easier around the balloon.

I've also just watched this "How to Personalize Balloons with Vinyl" tutorial by Tanya from "Ask Me For A Balloon" (who is a real pro when it comes to balloon decorating), and even she seemed to have problems with applying the vinyl properly to a balloon.

Perhaps it's the type of vinyl and/or transfer tape you are using? Tanya recommends using Oracle 651 or 631 and Happy Face paper application tape.

Hope you'll find a solution to the bubbles!

Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Bubbles
by: Anonymous

Thank you For your response. Sometimes there are No bubbles when I apply it but then an hour later bubbles appear. Other times the bubbles appear straight away.

The balloons don't look that they are losing helium As I did one on a self seal foil and one on a bubble balloon and they both did the same 🤯 just can't think of any other reason or way of doing it?

Love doing balloons but if I can't get it right or know the reason why it's happening I can't take any more orders. 😫

Have asked around but no one seems to have that problem. I've tried do it in a cold room and tried in my normal temperature room both had the same outcome.

Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Bubbling
by: Anonymous

Hi everytime I put vinyl on my balloon there are small air bubbles in the writing not sure why as I use the squeegee both when the tape is on the balloon and when I remove the tape?

Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Answer to Vinyl Text on Bubble Balloon
by: Margit

Hello!

Sorry to hear about the issues with the vinyl starting to wrinkle after a while.

Is it completely flat and wrinkle-free when you apply it?

Then the only reason I can think of is that the bubble balloon may lose small amounts of helium or air, causing it to shrink and thus making the vinyl writing wrinkle.

When applying the vinyl, have you tried the tip shown in the video above? Cutting the transfer paper up to the vinyl letters so that it curves easier around the balloon?

Perhaps that would help avoid the formation of wrinkles.

Also check out this video for more ideas. It should start at 1:10 hours into the video, where Dom & Keith show how to apply vinyl to a bubble balloon.

Rating
starstarstar
Question regarding vinyl text on bubble ballon
by: Anonymous

Hi, I have a question regarding the bubble ballons.I have tried several times now to stick vinyl stickers which are made from oracal651 foil onto my qualatex clear bubble balloons, but after 12-24 hours the writing starts to wrinkle like it’s coming off but it’s still on.

Is there a method maybe or a different foil that needs to be applied to avoid this early? Or is that completely normal?

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Balloon Decorations FAQ.