Holiday Balloon Table Runner
Balloon design and photos by burton + BURTON
This stylish and versatile décor concept offers design and accessorizing options that are as limitless as your imagination.
A creative and sophisticated use of air-filled balloons, this inventive table runner, or “garland,” forms a wildly versatile (and budget-friendly) foundation for a holiday tablescape, buffet piece or mantel décor.
You can create it in myriad colors and color combinations, lengths, and thicknesses, as well as in component sections. And in addition to placing this design horizontally, you can also position it vertically, to create a “waterfall” cascading off the ends of tables or mantels. You can even form longer, thinner versions into a round “wreath” shape, if a table shape dictates. Coordinating helium- filled balloons can also float above the base design, to create additional drama and height. This design concept provides endless possibilities!
Most important among the many styling options for florists are accessorizing the garland with fresh flowers, placed into water tubes and tucked among the balloons, as well as stems of foliage, miniature plants and gorgeous ribbons.
Step – By – Step
Step 1
Create a custom-colored “double-stuffed” balloon by sliding a 7-inch Chrome Gold latex balloon onto a dowel, then sliding a 9-inch Jewel Ruby Red latex balloon over it. Make several of these; approximately 15 are used in this design.
Step 2
Using an electric air inflator, inflate 7-inch Chrome Gold and Chrome Green latex balloons (approximately 15 of each color), as well as the double-stuffed red/gold latex balloons. Inflate the balloons to various sizes. Inflate balloons of different colors simultaneously. Do not tie off the balloons.
Step 3
Once two balloons are inflated, press them on a flat surface, pinching the necks, to achieve a round shape (as opposed to the normal teardrop shape).
Step 4
Stretch the neck of the two balloons across one another, holding them close together so there is little space between them when tied. Crisscross the necks, wrap them around each other twice and tie them together (creating a “duplet”).
Step 5
Attach a length of monofilament to the necks of the two tied balloons. Inflate and tie two more balloons of different colors together. Combine the two duplets by pushing the necks together and twisting two times, to form a “quad.”
Step 6
Continue creating duplets and combining them to form quads, all while wrapping the monofilament through the center of the quads, to secure them together. Repeat these steps until you have created a “garland” of your desired length.
Step 7
Hand inflate smaller Chrome Gold and Chrome Green latex balloons, and attach them into the garland with adhesive dashes.
Step 8
Tie assorted round holiday ornaments of your choice into the balloon garland. Place the finished balloon garland on the chosen table or mantel, and accessorize it with fresh flowers in water tubes, small plants, nutcrackers and/or LED candles.
Materials and Tools
BOTANICALS
- Qualatex®Chrome® 7” Green Latex Balloons (# Q-07-118)
- Qualatex®Chrome® 7” Gold Latex Balloons (# Q-07-114)
- Qualatex® 9” Jewel Ruby Red Latex Balloons (# Q-09-53)
- Holly Ornaments (# 9742332)
- Sequin Ornament Assortment (# 9739679)
- Wreath Ornament Assortment (# 9742198
- Nutcracker Assortment (# 9714653)
- Patria™ Illumination 4” Red Pillar Candles (# 025413)
- Patria™ Illumination 6” Red Pillar Candles (# 025613)
- Patria™Illumination 8” Red Pillar Candles (# 025813)
- Patria™ Illumination 9” Red Taper Candles (# 160913)
- Patria™Illumination 11” Red Taper Candles (# 161113)
- Pillar Candleholder 10” (# C9157)
- Pillar Candleholder 12” (# C9158)
- Taper Candleholder Assortment (# C9101)
- Monofilament 50-lb. Test (# 15001)
- OASIS® UGLU™ Adhesive Dashes (# 01541)
- Wood Dowels (# 9726935)
- Premium Balloon Accessories® Dual-Air™ II (# 833)
- Hand Air Inflator (#HI795)
For more educational tutorials and videos, visit the Education Center at burtonandburton.com/education. To purchase the products used in this design, search “Holiday Balloon Table Runner” on the burton + BURTON website.
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