| How to make a balloon arch | | | | and twisting them together. |
| This is a hard one to do in writing, but I'll try :-) If | | | | So, take the four balloons, and arrange them in the |
| you find it hard to follow, look for the video version, | | | | color pattern that you are trying to create. Make |
| and that should help. | | | | sure to continue the same order throughout the arch. |
| First of all, when you're making a "spiral" arch, it is | | | | Wedge the string between two of the balloon in the |
| really really important that all of the balloons are | | | | quad. Either wrap the balloons with the string to |
| properly sized. Incorrectly sized balloons can really ruin | | | | secure, or rotate the two balloons that are straddling |
| the look of the arch. The actual balloon size is relative | | | | the string around each other. |
| to the size of balloons you are using and the size of | | | | Take the next quad, line it up in the right place and |
| the arch, but it's critical that all the balloons in the | | | | repeat the procedure. |
| arch are the same size (Until you get into advanced | | | | Keep repeating the same steps, consistently rotating |
| shaping techniques, but that's another topic). | | | | either to the right or to the left. You will notice that |
| Unless your arch is framed, you're probably using | | | | there is a sweet spot where the balloons are just |
| helium. The easiest way to wrap the balloons onto | | | | offset and seem to nestle in. Also, it's best if you try |
| the fishing line, or dacron arch line, is by stretching | | | | not to drag the balloons across the line as that may |
| the line between two chairs. Then you can wrap the | | | | result in friction tears. After about four clusters you |
| balloons onto the taught line. Make sure that it's well | | | | will see the pattern emerging. |
| secured, but with a little bit of slack. As it grows, the | | | | To finish it off, tie each side to an anchor. There will |
| lift will fight against you a bit. | | | | be a lot of lift, so be sure that they are heavy |
| Most "spiral" arches are created using a four- pack of | | | | enough! An easy to find anchor is a 2.5 gallon water |
| balloons. You make that by creating two duplets of | | | | bottle, just tie on to the handle, wrap it with some |
| balloons, (two balloons tied together by their necks), | | | | pretty paper, and you're ready to go. |