All kinds of decorations are popular for events such as birthday parties, weddings, or a festival, such as streamers and flowers or even strings of lights. And of course, balloons are a cheap but fun way to add to the decor. A person can get their hands on air filled balloons made of latex, or get foil balloons filled with helium for a party or even as a gift to a hospital patient. If someone gets air filled balloons, they can use those balloons indoors or outdoors alike without having them float away, though decorative foil ones nearly always float. What is there to know about air filled balloons or wholesale foil balloons from party supply stores? These decorations are simple enough, but there’s plenty to discover about them.
All About Latex Balloons
Most often, air filled balloons are latex versions, and often, latex balloons are the first thing a person thinks of when they hear “balloon.” The very idea for balloons dates back to 1824, when professor Michael Faraday fused the edges of two rubber sheet and inflated them with air. Today, air filled balloons are most often latex, since it is more environmentally friendly. Rubber harvesting for balloons may strain forests, but latex producing trees may provide a lot of material for years without being killed from harvesting efforts.
Latex balloons are fairly limited in shape, most often forming either a teardrop shape or perhaps heart shapes, too. They can be filled with either air or helium, depending on need or where a customer got them. A customer can visit a party supply store and get a pack of 100 balloons to fill with air, or they can get helium filled balloons at a carnival or the like. Basic care should be taken with these balloons, though. Before being inflated, they are small and pose a choking hazard to children, babies, and pets, so it’s best to keep them away from balloons. Also, it is advisable to keep inflated balloons away from heat sources, since heat will expand the balloon’s air and pop the whole thing. Latex balloons filled with air may last for a few days, and helium filled ones may last for a day or two.
Foil Balloons
Meanwhile, some balloons are made of foil; that is, two foil sheet with their edges fused together, then inflated (most often with helium). These balloons come in a wider variety of shapes than latex ones, since their foil sheets can be cut into all kinds of shapes such as squares, circles, and hearts, not to mention numbers or even letters. These balloons can be bought in a package, or they can be bought already inflated with helium. Such balloons always come on a string with a weight at the end, so they don’t simply float away. What is more, before these foil balloons are inflated, they have custom images printed on them for decoration, unlike latex balloons. They may have general colors or patterns printed on them, or brand-specific imagery or messages put on them, too.
Where to Use Balloons
Where is the right place for these festive decorations? For one thing, a child’s birthday party is a great place for balloons, and kids will love all the colors. These balloons might be filled with helium and held with strings, or they can be air filled balloons that are taped to the walls or to the backs of chairs. There can even be a sort of ball pit made with lots of air filled balloons on the floor. A girl’s Sweet 16 b8irthday party can have balloons too, often pink and white ones. The same is true of a bridal shower, where party organizers may set up all kinds of streamers, music, and balloons, too.
Helium filled balloons often act alone or in pairs, and a hospital patient may get one as a “get well soon” gift along with flowers or a fruits basket. A birthday party may involve two number-shaped balloons for a person’s new age. What is more, thousands of air filled balloons can be released onto a dance floor during a high school prom, which the dancers may enjoy. Often, these balloons are held in place with a cage on the ceiling until they are manually released.
