How to Use a Balloon Arch Kit

How to use a balloon arch kit

A balloon arch kit is mostly the same three things in different packaging: a roll of decorating strip, a bag of mixed-size balloons and some glue dots. The price varies more than the contents do.

This guide explains what each piece is for, what the kits usually leave out, and how to get from an unopened bag to a hung arch in about ninety minutes.

If you already have balloons, you can skip the kit entirely — a £4 strip and a roll of glue dots do the same job.

What we stock to go with the kit

Number balloons, banners, cake toppers and table confetti, posted from the UK with your card. We don't sell arch kits themselves.

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What's in the box

  • Balloon decorating strip: the plastic tape with holes, and the only essential part. Shop this card
  • Mixed balloons, usually 100 to 120 in three sizes and four colours. Shop this card
  • Glue dots for tucking small balloons into the gaps. Shop this card
  • A plastic tying tool, which is genuinely useful if you're doing 100 balloons. Shop this card
  • Command hooks or adhesive pads, in the better kits only. Shop this card
  • Sometimes a hand pump — slow, but better than nothing. Shop this card
  • Occasionally foil stars or a number balloon as a centrepiece. Shop this card

What kits usually leave out

  • An electric inflator. About £15, and it turns 90 minutes into 40. Shop this card
  • Enough balloons: most kits cover about 1.5 metres, not the 2 metres pictured. Shop this card
  • Greenery. A single bunch of faux eucalyptus lifts a plain kit noticeably. Shop this card
  • Extra 5in balloons for filling gaps, which is the step that makes it look finished. Shop this card
  • Fishing line or cable ties for anchoring outdoors. Shop this card
  • A banner to hang behind it — the kit is the frame, not the focal point. Shop this card

Building it step by step

  • 1. Lay the strip out on the floor at full length and check it against the wall. Shop this card
  • 2. Inflate in three sizes and resist filling every balloon to the same size. Shop this card
  • 3. Tie in pairs, twist two pairs into a cluster of four. Shop this card
  • 4. Thread each cluster onto the strip, two balloons through one hole each. Shop this card
  • 5. Alternate colours and rotate each cluster so it faces differently. Shop this card
  • 6. Hold the finished strip up and mark the gaps. Shop this card
  • 7. Glue-dot 5in balloons into every gap you marked. Shop this card
  • 8. Hang from Command hooks at both ends and the middle, then add greenery. Shop this card

Is a kit worth it?

  • First arch: yes — the strip, sizes and colour mix are chosen for you. Shop this card
  • Second arch: buy balloons in bulk packs and a strip separately, it's cheaper. Shop this card
  • For a matched colour scheme, buy loose balloons; kit palettes are fixed. Shop this card
  • For a children's party, kits are fine — nobody is auditing the shade of pink. Shop this card
  • Ignore kits that only include one balloon size; the arch will look like a tube. Shop this card
  • Check the balloon count against 60 to 70 per metre before you buy. Shop this card

Happy birthday banners

The wall piece a balloon arch or bunting string hangs around.

Best Step-mum Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) Best Step-mum Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) £3.87 Best Nan Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) Best Nan Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) £3.87 Best Mother-in-law Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) Best Mother-in-law Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) £3.87 Best Mum Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) Best Mum Ever Banner (Mothers Day Card) £3.87 Personalised Wedding Card With Doves Holding a Banner Personalised Wedding Card With Doves Holding a Banner £3.87

How to write it so it lands

  • Check the balloon count, not the photo, before buying a kit.
  • Keep the strip after the party — it's the reusable part.
  • Add a bag of 5in balloons for the gaps; kits never include enough.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What comes in a balloon arch kit?

A roll of balloon decorating strip, 100 to 120 mixed-size balloons, glue dots and usually a tying tool. Better kits add adhesive hooks; most leave out a pump.

How many balloons does a balloon arch kit cover?

Most cover about 1.5 metres at 60 to 70 balloons per metre, even when the photo shows a full doorway. Buy a second pack of balloons if you want two metres.

Do you need a pump for a balloon arch kit?

Not strictly, but an electric inflator at around £15 turns a 90-minute job into 40 minutes and saves your hands on 130 balloons.

Can you reuse a balloon arch kit?

The decorating strip yes, the balloons no. Keep the strip, buy fresh balloons, and you'll spend a fraction of the kit price next time.

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