burtonavenue-ABC-News: Balloon Topiary

This is actually a guest post I did over at A Little Tipsy last year but never shared with my readers.

With only a week between Christmas and the new year, there isn't much time left to decorate for a New Year's Eve bash. No worries, because I've got a project that's quick and easy and is sure to add some pizazz to your party.

I'm going to show you how to make this cute balloon topiary.

Here is what you will need:

12 - Small Balloons (I used 5" balloons)

16" Dowel (painted to match your color scheme)

Styrofoam

Small Vase

Marbles, Shreds, or other Filler for the Vase

Foil Sheets (optional)

Star Sprays (optional)

First, inflate the balloons (try to make them the same size). Tie the necks of two balloons together and repeat until you have six groups.

Next, place one group over another group. Lock the two together by twisting the necks around each other.

Repeat with a third group, there should now be six balloons in this cluster. Do the same with remaining groups, so you end up with two big clusters (each with 6 balloons).

Now, put the two clusters together and twist the necks of a couple balloons around each other. You will end up with a ball that looks like this. You can move the balloons around until the colors and shape look good. I hope that all made sense (it's way easier than it sounds).

Set that aside for a bit and let's start on the base. Stick your dowel into a piece of styrofoam and place it in the bottom of your vase. You may need to glue it down to keep it from tipping. Add marbles or other decorative items to fill the vase.

Place the top of the dowel in the center of your balloon cluster. You don't need to glue it, just twist a couple of balloons around it to keep it in place.

It's cute and simple like this, but I like to dress it up a bit more. Tuck some ribbon into the center of the cluster and wrap it loosely around the dowel a few times. Tie down the other end with another piece of ribbon and then make a bow.