History of the Party Balloon

Helium Balloons | Foil Balloons | Balloon Accessories | Supershape Balloons

Balloon Arrangements | Party Theme Balloons | Number Shaped Balloons

Professor Michael Faraday in 1824 was the first to make rubber balloons. They were made for use in his experiments with hydrogen at the Royal Institute in London. Party balloons were introduced by pioneer rubber manufacturer Thomas Hancock the following year in the form of a do-it-yourself kit consisting of a bottle of rubber solution and a condensing syringe.
Anderson Rubber Company in Akron Ohio was the first manufacture of balloons in the United States in 1907.
In 1912 the balloon world was introduced to the first balloon that wasn't round. The new cigar-shaped balloon was credited to Harry Ross Gill, founder of the National Latex Rubber Products of Ashland, Ohio. Gill also developed a dye that did not rub off on people's hand's and faces which resulted in the first sanitary balloon package to go on sale."
World War II caused the development of numerous special balloons. One was a model that inflated to five feet in diameter and twenty feet long. It was used as a target in the Army's development of the "bazooka" anti-tank gun.
Toy balloon developments after the war included a "two in one", It was a head balloon inside a clear outer balloon. Amongst the many balloon developments that followed, balloon races became a favourite. Balloons launched in Chicago had returns from as far away as North Carolina and Virginia. One balloon was reported to have traveled 600 miles in less than twelve hours.
Today the party balloon remains very alive and active on the world's scene. Party Balloons are manufactured by the millions daily in a number of countries. Party balloons start out as liquid from a rubber tree which goes through a number of treatment processes that shape and colour the liquid. Today's balloons provide a splash of colour and a burst of excitement at parties, fairs, carnivals, circuses, store sales, trade expositions, and at any other place that people gather for relief from work and routine.

Party Balloon Ideas

Party Balloons and Streamers are the most cost effective and dynamic way to add colour and sparkle to a party! Party balloons have an instant impact on guests and can be colour co-ordinated to any event. Personally, I love to use Balloons to create dynamic party themes, anything from a Pirate Party theme to a silver screen Hollywood glamour theme!
Always remember, balloons will have a vibrant impact upon your over all decorating, but they will most likely only use a fraction of your party budget. Oh.. and don�t forget to use balloons as gifts, for games and as an integral part of the celebrations. Why not let a bunch fall from the ceiling during the night as you sing happy birthday!
If you need more ideas, all of my staff at PlanetParty really know their stuff, so feel free to call.

Red Balloons

A simple balloon tip that never fails to deliver!

For an impacting, blossoming balloon arrangement I suggest that you use a minimum of 5-7 balloons per bunch whether hanging from a ceiling or attached to weights. A 5-7 balloon arrangement provides for a full presentation and by introducing 2 colors into the arrangement, you will be amazed at how good it will look.!
If you are wanting to show your guests that you are the Martha Stewart of the party, add colour coordinated streamers / ribbons to the base of your balloons and let them hang in various lengths from the base or � lip � of the balloon. Always curl the end of the ribbon!!! Martha would!
To curl Ribbon, simply crimp hard against the blunt side of a pair of scissors and drag the ribbon over the edge of the surface. You may need to experiment a little, but it is quite easy. I have a number of pre packed arrangements at PlanetParty that can take the guess work out of creating arrangements.

Helium Ideas, Tips and Reminders!

Reminder: There are only two ways to purchase helium filled balloons.

Pre order your balloons from a supplier, hopefully my store PlanetParty We will fill them for you and you can pick them up or we can deliver them to you on the day of your party or�
Purchase a helium balloon kit. This option can be disappointing if left to the last minute as kits are regularly unavailable due to helium shortages.

Reminder: Helium Latex balloons generally last for 12-18 hours, so don�t take delivery of your balloons until the day of the Party!

Tip: To be safe I would pre order from PlanetParty It can take some time to fill a bunch of balloons and you only have 12 � 18 hours to fill and arrange along with all your other commitments on the day.

Idea: For something completely fun and NEW try our PlanetParty �SKY STRING� this comes in 8, 15 and 20 metre lengths and can be used to join your balloon arrangement together to form a giant long balloon Column. Think of a jack and the bean stalk made of Balloons! People will be able to see your party from the next galaxy, or at least as they drive towards the party.

Balloons and Sky String

The right combinations of shape and colour are the keys to creating appealing arrangements. Again to make this easy I have created PlanetParty balloon packs that contain the right number of predefined shapes and colors for all types of creative arrangements.

Balloons are as individual as you are; express yourself by adding various shapes, colours and sizes.

The image on the left is very easy to create using Sky string and two different balloon colours.

Mix it up

Idea: Another of my favorite type of arrangements utilizes larger foil shaped balloons, foil balloons add impact, appeal and fun.. and they really dress up a party. Imagine two Foil Palm Tree balloons surrounded by green, white and blue balloons standing on either side of one of our blowup palm tree coolers full of ice and drinks for a pool party� All for just $75.00 including the cooler, that�s great value and a lot of themed decoration.

Tip: Did you know that balloons also come in different finishes!
A crystal balloon is transparent and you can see through it.
A pearl balloon has an opaque finish and is more suitable for decorating purposes!
A metallic finish is maintained on the Gold and Silver foil balloons and they do shine like polished metal.

Important things you should consider for your balloon d�cor:

Remember: If you are planning on using a restaurant, check with the restaurant management that balloons can be used on the tables and ceiling first?

Tip: You should consider how many balloons you need in an arrangement and how that adds up with the number of tables you use before ordering. A simple drawing can help you to Plan. Helium does run out and you maybe disappointed if at the last minute you decide you need more balloons.

Remember: Balloons don�t fair well near hot lights such as down lights, so avoid these. Make sure you plan where and how you will hang or mount your balloons.

Remember: High air-condition will oxidize rubber balloons after a period and they may dimple, so again make sure you plan.

Create your own theme

PlanetParty has an incredible range of themes to choose from Both in Party Balloons and Party Themes . If you are looking to host an event to remember, then a Theme is always a good choice!

Tip: Balloons add to both your over all d�cor while helping to create your theme..

Tip: Choose your theme first then it will be easy to match Party balloons to your theme. If for example you were having a Casino theme, there would be several options available in both Printed and Plain balloons for you to choose from to help match your room and theme choice. If your Theme is a birthday, say a 50th Birthday ,
you could use � 50th balloons � and mix them with a silver or gold balloon to create an arrangement of class.

To achieve a theme similar to the picture below we have used Pearl finished balloons both printed and plain in a cluster of 12 . The Hot pink printed balloons with happy birthday on it are delightfully offset by a White pearl balloon . Simple , fun and stylish. Notice how the pearl balloon although not a specific colour, blends perfectly. Pearl is a great choice with any single other color for a 2 colour mix.

Balloon Girl

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History of the Party Balloon