DIY Tulle Balloon

NOTE: These Tulle Balloons will not float even when filled with helium. The Tulle is too heavy. You will need to use invisible cord or fishing wire to hang the balloon... giving it the illusion of floating.

When we saw pictures floating around the web of tulle covered balloons, we knew they would be a perfect way to pretty up cakes when displaying them at events or parties... before they're eaten, of course. These tulle covered balloons are a great way to enhance a simple cake, turning it into gorgeous masterpiece. Perfect for a girls birthday party, baby shower, wedding shower, and so much more, just get a giant balloon, some tulle, and get to decorating.

DIY Tulle Balloon Supplies

30-36 Inch Latex Balloon

54 Inch Tulle Fabric (when purchasing tulle, make sure to buy tulle that is at least 54 inches when using 36 inch balloons. You want the tulle to cover the entire balloon. How many yards you purchase depends on the size and quantity of the balloons you'll need. You may want to purchase 2-3 yards and experiment)

Thick Rubber Band

Ribbon - of your choice

Scissors

Silk Flower - of your choice

Invisible Cord or Fishing Wire - for hanging on a wall

DIY Tulle Balloon Step-By-Step Directions

1) Collect your supplies.

2) Start with a blown up balloon. DO NOT inflate balloon past 18-19 inches in diameter or the tulle will not fit over the balloon. We didn't use helium balloons for this project. We blew up our own balloon and will share how to hang it in the Sweet Notes.

3) Grab a piece of tulle and drape it over the balloon, making sure to keep a few extra inches at the base of the balloon.

4) Smooth the tulle at the top of the balloon, gathering it neatly at the bottom.

5) With a thick rubber band, secure the tulle together at the base of the balloon.

6) Add some ribbon and a silk flower for embellishment, and to hide the rubber band (we stuck a bit of the silk flower stem into the rubber band to secure the flower).

DIY Tulle Balloon Sweet Notes

For quick and easy DIYing, get our DIY Tulle Balloon Kit which has all the supplies and pre-cut/pre-measured materials you need to make 2 pink tulle balloons

You can also purchase 16 or 17 inch balloons, but we prefer the round look of the 30 or 36 inch balloons. Be mindful when purchasing and blowing up your balloons

Update (05/24/2014): We did try this project with a helium filled balloon. The materials were too heavy to keep the balloon afloat.

Although, we didn't use a helium balloon, we still wanted our balloon to be suspended in air against a wall. So, we made two small slits into the tulle at the back of the balloon. Using invisible cord (fishing wire) we threaded a piece of cord through the two small holes. We then hung up the balloon by the cord using tape

If you'd like to learn how to make the design on the cake pictured at the top, check out Maggie Austin's Craftsy class: Fondant Frills. Maggie shows you how to color your fondant for an ombre look, how to make your own gumpaste, how to achieve a beautiful frill design on your cake, and how to make cabbage roses. It's a wonderful class and we enjoyed learning how to make this frill design