Price of Balloon Arches, Garlands and Accessories

If you’ve seen a balloon garland (also called a balloon arch) on social media and been struck by immediate party envy, you’re not alone. Balloon garlands are trending everywhere, and with good reason: they’re stunning, customizable, and a complete showstopper for any occasion.

Usually, something this fabulous is hard to assemble and comes with a hefty price tag. But balloon garlands are not only surprisingly easy to put together, even for a beginner – they’re also affordable!

We'll walk you through the basics of balloon garlands: what they are, where you can put them, what tools you need to make them, and that all-important question, how much does a balloon garland cost? We’ll break down a standard 16-foot organic balloon garland price.

In the end, we even include a handy checklist you can use to make sure you have everything you need!

Why are balloon garlands so popular?

Balloons have been the perfect way to add something special to your occasion for years, but balloon garlands and balloon arches first exploded in popularity in 2018.

A helium shortage that year meant that helium-filled balloons to decorate large event spaces were costly and hard to get ahold of. Helium is still expensive even now.

Balloon garlands aren’t filled with helium – they’re held up by a string and attached to something, like a wall or a column. So balloon garlands became the perfect alternative to helium balloons for decoration.

And they’re still a great choice! In addition to being cheaper than helium balloons, balloon garlands also let you arrange your balloons into beautiful, unique statement pieces.

These days, no event is complete without balloon garlands. They’re perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, gender reveals, cake smashes and 1st birthday parties – any celebration you can think of!

A balloon garland is also a fantastic décor addition for other special events. A balloon garland or balloon arch is an excellent choice for a birthday party, wedding, corporate event, or conference.

The evolution of balloon garlands

You can think of balloon garlands as a spin-off of balloon arches and balloon columns.

Quick poll: raise your hands if you remember the popularity of balloon arches at parties circa 2015!

No one?

Okay, that might just be something I only know as a pretty seasoned party decorator. But trust me, 2015 was the year of the balloon arch.

Anyway, balloon arches were (and are still) gorgeous, but they occupied a lot of space. Parties taking place in smaller venues couldn’t always use balloon arches. Also, balloon arches need arch stands to support them and keep them in place.

These arches also usually use just one size of balloons (9, 10, 11, or 12-inch) which creates a uniform effect that can be perfect for some events but not for others.

Enter: the balloon garland!

You can think of balloon garlands as being more organic. Think about an organic food versus a genetically modified food: a pack of organic sweet peppers versus a pack of regular sweet peppers. There’s more variation in size, shape, and color.

Like those organic foods, balloon garlands are much more versatile than balloon arches. Because you can attach them to any surface, like a string of festive lights, they can take any shape.

Balloon garlands also usually use multiple sizes of balloons which gives them more character, texture, and visual interest. It’s like a bouquet of wildflowers – the beauty is in the differences.

What makes balloon garlands special?

Balloon garlands are the ideal party décor choice because they’re so versatile. You can suit a variety of party themes or event types by incorporating unique elements into your garland: metallic latex balloons, foil balloons, vinyl stickers, flowers, paper or dried grass, paper cutouts, and so many others!

No matter the size and location of your event space, there’s a perfect balloon garland to add that “wow!” factor to your event.

Where can you use balloon garlands?

You can use balloon garlands in dozens of ways. Here are just a few of the places where you can display them:

• table runners
• hallways
• entryways
• pillars
• dessert tables
• your car
• floating on a pool
• marquee letters
• garage door
• front door
• store displays
• on a tree
• bounce house.

Balloon garlands can be used indoors or outdoors, so the sky’s the limit (literally!) on where you put your garland. For tips on using your balloons outdoors, click here.

What tools do you need for your balloon garland?

Before we get into the cost of making a balloon garland, let’s talk about the tools that you’ll need to create one.

• Balloons: Of course, you’ll need balloons – and probably many of them, too!
• Electric balloon pump: Save your breath, time, and energy by investing in a balloon pump. While you can still inflate balloons without a pump, an excellent electric balloon pump is more than worth the purchase. I promise, future you will be grateful for it!
• Balloon decorating tape: If you’re just starting out in your balloon decorating journey, we recommend that you use balloon decorating tape to assemble your balloon garland. Seasoned pros might prefer to skip this step, but balloon decorating tape is a great staple to make your balloon garland assembly much easier.
• Fishing line or twisting balloons: We’ve witnessed (and participated in!) many a debate about which of these two is better to use for making a balloon garland. Fishing line is more customizable, but can be trickier to handle. Twisting balloons are more sculptable, but less versatile. Whichever of these is your cup of tea, you’ll need one or both to first make, then hang/secure/fasten, your balloon garland to the wall, props, or backdrop.
• Glue: If you’re new to making balloon garlands, you can use glue stickers or a glue gun to securely fasten the 5-inch balloons (and even the foil balloons and other decorative elements) to your balloon garland. Some balloon garland DIY-ers prefer to work with fishing line or twisting balloons throughout. It just depends on your preferences!
• Tying tool: You can anchor a balloon mouth with this tool instead of using your fingers, making it easy to create a loop and tie a knot. This little contraption is one of the best inventions since ice cream, and we don’t say that lightly! If you want to save yourself some pain, these make tying balloons so much easier. Here is a quick tutorial on how to use a tying tool.
• Wall hooks: If you intend to set your balloon garland up against a wall, you may need removable wall hooks. We recommend 3M Command Hooks or a similar type. They’re considered to be the best on the market. They’re also safe on painted walls, so there are no unpleasant surprises when you take down your garland after the party!

If you'd like to learn how to make a balloon garland, we've got a quick and simple post to help you.

Breaking down the costs

So, your little princess is turning 1 in a few weeks (or days, eek!), and you want to decorate her party with something truly special.

You’ve seen all the fabulous balloon garlands across social media – Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest – and you’re thinking, “Surely this is way out of my league! How much does a balloon garland cost? I won’t be able to pull this off without breaking the bank!”

We’ve all been there before. Not to worry, this post is here to help you figure out the price of a balloon garland.

There are two main components of the cost of a balloon garland:

1. Cost of balloons
2. Cost of accessories and tools

Cost of balloons

This is the cost of all the balloons you use to create a balloon garland. The type and quantity of materials you will use will depend on the party brief/theme.

For example, suppose you or your daughter wants a 16-ft balloon garland for a “Sunshine and Pink Lemonade” birthday party. In that case, you can assume you’d need balloons to make a 16-ft organic balloon garland (with 3-4 different balloon sizes), along with some on-theme foil balloons.

Or another example: If your best girl is getting married and you’ve been tasked with the party decorations for her bridal shower, you may want an “EXTRA Boho Chic” balloon display in 3 different locations in their home. That could mean 3-4 organic balloon garlands of varying lengths (10-ft, 16-ft, 26-ft) as well as some pampas grass and dried flower arrangements.

In this blog post, we’ll only focus  on the cost of the balloon arrangements only. The cost of foil balloons and other decorative elements can easily be calculated and added to the cost of the balloons to determine the total cost.

Cost of accessories and tools:

This is the cost of all the other supplies you may need to build your balloon garland. While they do not include balloons, these items are just as important to your successfully setting up your balloon garland and should not be overlooked.

How many balloons will I need?

Now, let’s look at how many balloons you need to make a 16-ft balloon garland so we can work out the cost of the balloon garland.

 To make a standard 16-foot organic balloon garland, you will need:

1. 5-inch balloons: 50 – 60 pieces
2. 11-inch balloons: 80 – 90 pieces
3. 18-inch balloons: 5 – 6 pieces
4. 36-inch balloons (optional): 2 – 4 pieces
5. Fishing line: 1 spool
6. Twisting balloons (260s): 40 – 50 pieces
7. Glue: 2 rolls
8. Removable wall hooks: 4 – 6 pieces

TIP: To make a 16-foot balloon garland with twice the fullness/thickness, you can simply double the number of balloons above.

So, now you know how many balloons you’re going to be buying: 50 to 60 5-inch balloons, 80 to 90 11-inch balloons, 4 to 6 18-inch balloons, and the optional 2 to 4 36-inch balloons.

We know what we need, so now we can figure out the price of a balloon garland (or the price of a balloon arch, if you’re constructing it as an arch).

The cost of the above materials depends largely on your preferred supplier. Generally, there are considered three main tiers of balloon suppliers:

Bottom-tier

Some balloon kits sold on shared marketplaces range in price from $8-$20 and typically consist of 40-70 balloons packed in clear plastic bags, making up the bottom tier. While these balloons are cheap and affordable, you might find that the balloons don’t match the product description/images.

All the balloons included in this tier are usually only one size, meaning that they’re not as customizable.

Let’s face it, in 2022, we’re all wanting organic balloon garlands with at least two different sizes of balloons. If you’re going to include a balloon garland at your party or event, you want it to be fantastic! So, if you choose from these low-cost materials, it’s important to read the descriptions very carefully.

From the material breakdown above, one would need three or more packs of these bottom-tier balloons to make a full organic balloon garland (assuming that they did contain 3-4 sizes of balloons).

Mid-tier

We consider ourselves to be mid-tier. You may find our products on shared marketplaces, but we differ from the other products sold alongside ours. We have a strong brand presence outside of these marketplaces, and we put a lot of care into each balloon garland kit we create.

We prioritize quality. From the color choices to the contents, all our products go through rigorous quality checks to ensure that each kit arrives in your hands in perfect condition.

We create our kits to give a truly organic feel. Most of our balloon garland kits contain over 130 balloons and an assortment of 3-4 different balloon sizes, making them ideal for DIY party moms and dads and balloon professionals.

Top-tier

At the top tier, you have brands such as Qualatex, Betallic, and Tuftex. These balloons are considered to be the best on the market. Most decorators choose them for the quality and range of colors offered, but they can be pricey for the average person.

So finally, how much would a balloon garland cost?

If you were to purchase supplies for a 16-foot balloon garland from a mid-tier balloon brand like ourselves, it would cost $23 to $25.

Our balloons are sold in all-in-one kits which include all the balloons and accessories you would need to make a 16-foot balloon garland like the one pictured above.

If you’re new to balloon garland making and aren’t sure how many balloons you’ll be needing, our balloon garland kits are perfect for you. The benefit of buying one of our DIY balloon garland kits is that all the colors of balloons and sizes are already pre-packed in the appropriate quantities to make a 16-foot balloon garland. We take out all the guesswork so you can get your balloon garland up with the least amount of number-crunching possible!

You’ll still need some command hooks ($8-10) and an electric pump ($24), which are all sold separately.

So, the total cost of making a balloon garland using a medium-tier brand like ours would be:

Balloon + accessories: $23 - $25

Electric balloon pump: $24

Command hooks: $8 - $10

Total: $55 - $59

(Of course, if you already have an electric balloon pump and some spare wall hooks, you would only need to spend $23 - $25!)

Going the top-tier route is a little more complex but still doable. The brands mentioned above do not sell balloon garland kits. You would need to buy the supplies separately.

But no worries, our list above should help you so that you don’t miss anything!

Now, let’s go over each of the items listed above for a simple Sunshine and Pink Lemonades balloon garland:

5-inch balloons

60 pieces in a mix of pastel pink and pastel yellow. You may be able to find balloons from these top-tier brands sold in packs of 50 pieces. So, you’ll need 1 bag of each color. Each bag costs $2.

Sub-total: $2 x 2 = $4

11-inch balloons

80 pieces in a mix of pastel pink and pastel yellow. You’ll also need 1 bag of each color here.

Sub-total: $6 x 2 = $12

18-inch balloons

6 pieces (3 pieces of pastel pink and 3 pieces of pastel yellow). These are sold in packs of 25 pieces each, and you’ll need 1 pack in each color.

Sub-total: $9 x 2 = $18

36-inch balloons (optional)

2 pieces. For this size, you may decide to have only the pastel pink balloons. They are sold in packs of 2 pieces each and cost $4.50

Subtotal: $4.50

Balloons subtotal: $4 + $12 + $18 + $4.5 = $38.50

Fishing line (1 spool)

$5

Twisting balloons (260s)

40 – 50 pieces: $5

Glue (2 rolls/sheets)

$5

Accessories sub-total

$15

Electric balloon pump

$24

Command hooks

$8 - $10

Total: $85.50 - $87.50

(If you already have an electric balloon pump and some spare wall hooks, you would only need to spend $53.50!)

You’d also have some leftover balloons which you may keep for your next party, although it’s unlikely that you would throw the same party theme next year. If you’re not careful, you may wind up with a garage full of balloon supplies that you don’t need!

We make our balloon kits to save you from having that spare balloon stash. We’ve calculated exactly how many balloons you need for your garland, no more, no less. If you want a balloon garland without any guesswork, we’re here for you.

Depending on which brand of balloons you choose, you should be looking to spend between $25 and $87.50 on supplies for your Pinterest-worthy balloon garland!

There you have it, the price of a balloon arch or garland that will make your party shine!

I have one last tip for you: Be sure to enjoy the process and have lots of fun while you are building your masterpiece. Personally, I like to keep myself entertained with some Netflix while I’m working on creating a balloon garland. You can also ask a friend or family member to keep you company and maybe give you a hand with assembly!

What do you do while you are making your balloon garlands? Music, news, sports, something else, or nothing at all? Let us know in the comments!