Buying Some Latex or Foil Balloons for a Party

 

How do you decorate for a party? Any good party will have streamers, music, colorful tablecloths, and of course, balloons. Today’s party supply stores will have all kinds of balloons for sale, from foil balloons to latex balloons to heart shaped balloons. A customer can buy balloons one at a time or in a package, and you can buy balloons in the dozens in some cases. Latex balloons are tiny until they are inflated, so you can buy balloons by the handful for a low price in many cases. When the time comes to buy balloons, what should a customer look for? Not all balloons are made the same way or used the same way, after all. Some parties call for air filled balloons, and in other times, a fancy foil balloon is the best idea. How to choose/

Latex Balloons

The very idea of balloons is older than some people might realize. In fact, they date back to 1824, when a certain Micheal Faraday invented them by fusing together the edges of two rubber sheets and filling this item with air. This idea continues into the present day, though it is more common for balloons to be made of latex. After all, large-scale rubber harvesting puts a lot of strain on forests, but latex trees can provide material for many years without dying in the process. One latex tree might provide material for as much as 40 years in some cases, which makes latex an environmentally friendly material to use. Latex balloons can be filled with either ordinary air or helium, and a helium pump can be used to inflate a balloon this way. As for air, the owner can use either a pump or even their own breath to fill up the balloon, though those balloons won’t float like how helium-filled ones do. A balloon filled with helium will last about a day, but one filled with air might last a week or two.

Foil Balloons

Other balloons are made of foil sheets that are fused together at the edge, and then filled with helium to make them float. These foil balloons can come in a wider variety of shapes than latex ones, since these foil sheets can be cut into a variety of shapes before being made into balloons. Such balloons may be shaped like a circle or square, or even shaped like a number. Often, these balloons can be bought pre-inflated at grocery stores, and they will be weighted down with a string and a small, heavy object. What is more, these foil balloons will have an image printed on them, and the graphics may range from a “happy birthday!” message to pop culture images of all sorts.

Using Balloons

When is a fine time for balloons? A birthday party or a bridal shower is a fine time for balloons, especially latex ones. A child’s birthday party may involve a number of latex balloons scattered around. Some may be filled with helium and held down with strings, or others can be filled with air and taped to the walls or to the backs of chairs. A foil balloon with a “happy birthday” message is also a great idea, or two foil balloons whose numbers form the birthday celebrant’s new age. For a bridal or baby shower, decorations may include streamers, lace tablecloths, and pink or white balloons. At a high school senior prom, there may be a wooden cage on the ceiling that holds thousands of air filled balloons, and at some point, that cage’s door will open and scatter all those balloons across the dance floor. Foil balloons are a common gift for hospital patient, and such balloons are often stamped with a “get well soon” message.

Basic care should be taken when using balloons. Until they are inflated, latex balloons are a choking hazard for pets and small children, so parents should keep those balloons out of reach. Also, if a balloon gets too close to a heat source such as an open fire or large light bulb, the balloon may pop since the air inside gets heated up and expands too much for the balloon’s body to handle. The remains of popped balloons should be collected and discarded during or after a party.