How to Make a Floating Balloon Kite
Floating balloon kites add vibrancy to the venue decor of a birthday party, wedding reception or family reunion. They also make great gifts for that special someone. A floating balloon kite consists of a vertical chain of single balloons or clusters of balloons. Balloons must be filled with helium so that they will float. Rent or buy a helium tank from a party supply store or business in your area. Look at examples of balloon kites or other balloon-based decorations online or in party shops to get some ideas for your own balloon kite. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Helium balloons
- Helium tank
- Cardboard
- Plate
- Fishing line
- Decorative ribbon
- Rock, book or other balloon weight
Instructions
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Plan your balloon kite design. Options include a single larger balloon on top with clusters of balloon down the line, clusters from top to bottom or one single cluster on top. Select colors to reflect the theme. Silver and white balloons may suit a wedding, whereas a spectrum of colors may suit a birthday party. If you plan on making clusters, use balloons that are all the same size.
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Inflate your first balloon with helium and knot the end. Tie a piece of fishing line to the knot and secure the other end of the line to the floor with a rock, book, or other weight. The piece of line should be one foot longer than the desired height of your kite. Leave this first balloon as a single or create a cluster.
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Create a size template before making balloon clusters. Trace a plate or other round object on a piece of cardboard. The circle should not be bigger than the balloon itself. For example, if you are working with 12-inch balloons, the diameter of your circle template should be about 11 inches. Cut out the circle. Every time you inflate a balloon for a cluster, place it into the hole in the cardboard to check that it is the desired size. Then you can tie a knot in the balloon.
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Make a two-balloon cluster by inflating two balloons, tying knots in each and then connecting them by tying their ends together. To make a four-balloon cluster, make two pairs of connected balloons. Gently twist the two pairs together by their knotted ends until secure. If you want to add another balloon to the four-balloon cluster, attach a piece of fishing line to the knotted end of the fifth balloon. Place this balloon on top of the four-balloon cluster and pull the fishing line through the center of the cluster. Wrap the fishing line around all of the balloon ends, in a figure-eight motion, then tie off the end.
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Add clusters or single balloons to your original piece of fishing line, from top to bottom, by looping the fishing line back and securely fastening the line to all balloon ends. You can either evenly space the balloons on your kite or group them all together. Leave two feet at the bottom of the fishing line free of balloons.
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Tie decorative ribbon to the bottom of your balloon kite or throughout, if it matches your design scheme.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Balloons #3 image by turkinson from Fotolia.com
