Kid's Circus Birthday Party: Making A Balloon Arch

By Jeanne Benedict

Welcome guests to your Kid’s Circus Birthday Party with a grand balloon arch entrance in your yard like the one in our videos. Balloons are a basic for most kid’s birthday parties from helium balloon bouquets to balloon animals. This balloon arch is constructed from everyday materials that most parents can put together without the help of a pro.

For more ideas read the other articles in this series including: Kid’s Circus Birthday Party: Invitations and Favor Packs, and Kid’s Circus Birthday Party: Fun and Games. Then, watch the how-to videos for this party to see the fun and games in action, along with invitation and favor pack ideas for a Circus Party, Pirate Party, Western Party, and Girls’ Party.

Materials for the Balloon Arch

This balloon arch is designed to be set up on a lawn, as the support structure is inserted into the ground. Your first step in making the balloon arch is a trip to the hardware store where you’ll need to buy:

2 pieces of 5’ long rebar
1 (5-foot long) PVC pole with 1-inch diameter
2 (7-foot long) PVC poles with 1-inch diameters
2 PVC elbow joints to fit the poles.

Then visit the party store and buy:

100 good quality 12-inch balloons in your party colors
a balloon hand-pump

Making the Balloon Arch Support Structure

Before you begin, make sure that if you have lawn sprinkler pipes, you know where they are located in the ground. You don’t want to accidentally damage a line when staking the rebar.

Refer to the video to see these step-by-step instructions. To make the arch:

1. Insert both pieces of rebar into the ground about 20 inches deep and 5 feet apart from each other.

2. Slide each 7-foot PVC pole on each rebar stake.

3. Slide an elbow joint on to the top of each 7-foot PVC pole.

4. Fit the 5-foot PVC pole into the elbow joints making a horizontal arch crossbar. Make sure the support is sturdy and doesn’t wobble.

You’ve completed the arch support structure!

Decorating The Arch with Balloons

Now, for the fun part! Blow up your balloons no sooner than a day before the party, preferably the morning of the event. First, you’ll need to make “balloon duplets,” which are simply two balloons that are knotted together.

The video provides close-up examples of these techniques.

Step 1. Make Balloon Duplets

1. Blow up 2 balloons.

2. Knot the neck on each balloon.

3. Stretch the neck on each balloon and knot the two necks together.

Step 2. Put the Balloon Duplets on the Arch

1. Start at the bottom of a 7-foot pole. Wrap a duplet around the pole, and twist the balloons together to secure (think of it as wrapping a “balloon twist-tie” around the pole).

2. Repeat the process, stacking the next duplet above the first, with the balloons facing the opposite direction. For example, if the first balloons are positioned north and south, then the one above it should face east and west.

3. Continue wrapping, twisting, and stacking the balloons until the arch is packed.

Enter a party through a balloon arch like this and there’s no doubt, you’re gonna’ have a great time. Share your best party ideas with Celebrations! Visit our Kid’s Birthday Party page or watch my videos for more fun.