How to Make a Balloon Column for the 4th of July

Red, white, and blue balloons wrapped around a porch post by the front door of a white house.

Have you ever wanted to add a balloon column to your 4^th of July decorations, but didn’t want to spend forty or more dollars on one at the store? After all, red, white, and blue balloons add an easy touch of patriotism to any 4^th of July party. However, it can be difficult to have dozens of free-range balloons roaming around your backyard, floating into the neighbor’s garden, or getting eaten by the dog. A DIY balloon column is a perfect solution and we’re going to show you how to make one: all you need are a few items and a little bit of time!

A black counter piled with red, white, and blue deflated balloons, tape, scissors, blue floss, and a fork.

You’ll Need:
Two bags of red balloons
Two bags of blue balloons
Two bags of white balloons
Embroidery thread
Two paper plates
Scotch tape

Red, white, and blue balloons corralled in a chair outside.

Step one is easy. Just blow up the balloons! You’re going to need a lot of them to make the balloon column, so blow up as many as you can.

Once all the balloons are blown up, unravel some thread to decide how long the column should be. Make the string a little longer than it needs to be in order to make the balloon column easier to put up.

A white Chinet paper plate with a strand of blue embroidery floss poked through the center, and taped down.

Once the thread is measured out, cut the string and tie a knot or two at the end. Poke a hole in the middle of a paper plate. Thread the string through the hole in the paper plate and tape it against the plate so the first balloon in the column has something to rest against.

A person's hands wrapping tape around an end of blue embroidery floss, near a pile of deflated balloons.

Finally, wrap a piece of Scotch tape around the other end of your thread to make it easier to thread it through the balloons.

A person's hands poking a hole into the end of a blown up balloon with the tine of a fork.

Now it’s time to really start making the column. Take a fork and push it through the lip of a red balloon, making a hole to put the thread through.

A red blown up balloon strung on blue embroidery floss through a hole poked on the tied end.

Thread the string through the hole. Guide the balloon down to the end of the string by the paper plate. Do the same with a white balloon, and then a blue balloon. Repeat until you’ve reached the desired height for the column.

Red, white, and blue balloons strung together on blue embroidery floss through holes on the tied ends.

Now it’s time to hang your beautiful DIY balloon column! Hooks for flower pots work really well, but you can also put 3M hooks on a wall or a patio, tie the balloon column around a tree branch, or even just tape the ends of the string to the wall. Happy 4^th of July!

Categories: Fourth of July Treats

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