We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Garlands. Flowers. Confetti. You name it. There are a countless number of ways to elevate the typical party setup. So when you feel like you’ve exhausted your go-to bag of party decorating tricks, taking things to the next level is the only natural step in the progression. But a
We know what you’re thinking (any particular 80s prom pic come to mind?) and it’s time to reconsider! We tackled the great feat of building our version of a mod [%633%] sans any helium. The result was a slightly tedious yet surprisingly easy display that made for the ultimate backdrop. Get the scoop here!
What You’ll Need:
- balloons, in a color of your choice (we used roughly 75 balloons)
- glue dots
- poultry netting
- flowers or fillers (optional)
- wire
- wire cutters
- nails
- hammer
Before getting started, decide on the general shape of the arch – if it helps, outline the shape on a piece of paper and measure out the approximate space it will take up on the wall. We opted for a compact arch that would end just a bit above the floor, roughly framing the table around which it would live.
Think about the color scheme and play around with a few shades before you actually start to build the arch. We preferred a minimalist palette featuring clear balloons and highlighted it with a handful of fresh spring greens!
Once you have the general shape of the arch in mind, cut out the poultry netting to the respective size using the wire cutters. We folded our netting in half – it originally came 48 inches in width – to create two convenient layers.
Before affixing the netting to the wall, contour it into the shape of your choice. Place the configured netting against the wall and roughly map out where each nail will go to support the structure. Having support or a buddy here helps!
Tack the nails in their respective spots into the wall and hang the netting up. Use short pieces of wire to bind the nails to the netting. Once the structure is securely fastened to the wall, you’re ready to start building!
Using an electric pump, inflate the balloons – if using only one particular balloon size, blow the balloons up to varying capacities. This will add a more dynamic note to the overall structure.
Attach a glue dot to the tip of the balloon (under the knot) and loop it around the wire of the netting, beginning at the end of the arch. Hold in place for 10 seconds to ensure it has fully stuck. Repeat this step with another balloon, affixed directly aside the first balloon. Once both of the balloons are secured in place, carefully attach a glue dot to one balloon and join it with the neighboring balloon. Continue to do this, creating clusters of balloons, working your way up along the arch.
We used the glue dots to attach the back balloons to the wall, to reinforce the structure.
Once the first layer of balloons are securely attached to the netting, you can start on the second layer. These balloons will be attached to the balloon base using glue dots adding character to the arch.
Content with the shape your arch has taken? Great! Now is the time to add in the flowers. We utilized basic fillers in varying shades to elevate the monochromatic scheme of our balloon arch. Psst… It’s also a great way to disguise the empty holes revealing the poultry netting from between balloons!
Use the glue dots to attach the flower stems to the balloons and fill in on an as-needed basis. Once the florals are securely in place, your arch will be complete!