DIY Balloon Columns

I recently helped host a party for a friend of mine that retired from teaching.  She's really into politics, so we had fun with a patriotic theme (campaign buttons, shirts, and headbands).  One thing I wanted to try out was balloon columns.  It was MUCH easier than I thought.  I'll definitely be doing it again, and I'll go with a video next time, but here are some pictures and lessons I took along the way.  

First, I have a balloon blower.  I got this on Amazon.  It blows up two balloons at a time (I only have talent enough to do one), BUT it's a life safer.  It comes with different nozzle sizes and plugs in.  

I also found a kit on Amazon for less than 15 dollars that came with 100 balloons of different sizes, mylar balloons, string, glue dots, and these strips you can put the balloons into to create an arch.  It ALSO came with this tying divice, which saved my fingers from hurting!  

The other thing I purchased was balloon columns (two), again it was 15 dollars, and reusable.  They have door arches and circles, but I have seen the arches fall over before, and I decided this would be the least stressful way to make displays.  The column came with a bunch of different pieces you can attach.  I wanted a random sampling of balloons (nothing uniform).  I used these little round balloon holders that slip onto the poles.  

When you have four balloons, you slip them into the slots.  

And you slip the circle onto the balloon poles.  

I just kept stacking until I had it as full as I wanted.  The day of the party I went and inserted smaller balloons I had blown up into the gaps using the glue dots.  

One lesson learned, I don't know if I blew them up too big, but randomly during the night I heard balloons popping.  It wasn't a huge deal b/c I had set aside a bunch in case this happened.  BUT I also dropped the columns going to my car.  It was 100 degrees and all the balloons that hit the sidewalk popped.  Whoops.  I would assemble this on sight next time, not fill them QUITE as full, or transport them in trash bags and not fully assembled.  Live and learn.  

I put the mylar balloons at the top and filled the based and random spots with baby balloons.  I lost quite a few of my confetti balloons along the way, but it still was fun.  The plan was to put them outside the doors, but it was just too hot, so I put them in two random places in the house.