• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
    • Punch Needle
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube

How-to: Balloon Garland

September 23, 2013 11 Comments

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

I can’t believe it. Yesterday marks 3 years since I decided to set up a little crafty website, just for fun. I never thought Hands Occupied would be more than a way to participate in the crafty internet world I loved following. My initial vision was simple: take some phone pics of projects I threw together and write up instructions on how I crafted them.

Since the blog’s start in 2010, I have gotten married, learned a little bit about photography, and blogged hundreds of DIYs. In honor of the big day, I’ve got a super simple (and affordable) DIY balloon garland to share with you all. Thank you, dear wonderful readers, for coming back again and again to check out my whacky and colorful craft project ideas. It means a lot that people appreciate what comes out of my crazy head.

Supplies

balloons
scissors
yarn

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

Directions

Blow up several balloons and tie them off. Cut a piece of yarn a few feet longer than the length you’d like the finished garland to be. Also cut several pieces of 4 inch-long yarn, one for each balloon. Tie a piece of string to a balloon.

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

Tie the balloon to the long piece of yarn with a square knot.

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

Tie many more balloons to the long yarn with the same method.

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

Push all of the balloons together so they cluster.

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

Ta da! That’s it. Since yarn is fibrous, it acts kind of like velcro and grips to itself, which is part of why the balloons stay in place.

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

For those of you not in the know, I’m a librarian too. I developed the balloon garland idea when given the task of decorating for my branch’s grand opening last month. The budget was basically $3. Here’s what I made with 50 dollar store balloons, yarn, and two hours. I may or may not have blistered the living daylights out of my left middle finger tying all those balloons in a row, but I think it was worth it:

How-to: Balloon Garland | Hands Occupied

Are we friends on Instagram yet?

Filed Under: How-to, Parties Tagged With: balloon craft, balloon garland, birthday, birthday party craft, cheap, craft, crafts, diy, hands occupied, parties, simple, yarn

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

Previous Post: « Weekly Reader
Next Post: Best Balloon Ideas »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • How-to: Spider Ring Drink Markers How-to: Spider Ring Drink Markers
  • Weekly ReaderWeekly Reader
  • How-to: Bat Place CardsHow-to: Bat Place Cards
  • DIY Library Pockets DIY Library Pockets

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Comments

  1. Rachel | 52 Weeks Project

    September 23, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    Yay, happy blog birthday! You nailed it with that balloon garland. Your branch is lucky to have you :)

    Reply
  2. Mimi

    September 27, 2013 at 6:03 am

    That is adorable!! Great for any party! Thanks for sharing :)

    Reply
  3. Laura / The Shed blog by Pet Scribbles

    September 30, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Happy 3rd bloggy birthday, Heidi! I love your blog, and this latest balloon garland is but one example of why! :)

    Reply
  4. Naila

    January 4, 2014 at 4:50 am

    really I say thanks a lot to you :*

    Reply
  5. Lindsay

    January 9, 2016 at 2:02 pm

    I’m considering doing this for my daughters birthday but don’t know if it’s possible to do the night before? Do the balloons last?

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 10, 2016 at 9:52 pm

      Hi Lindsay! I found this blog post about making balloons last longer – maybe it will help with your daughter’s party: https://ballooncrewsviews.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/15-tips-for-getting-balloons-to-last-longer-in-hot-weather/. Best of luck!

      Reply
  6. Lilly

    September 23, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    Hi where did u get that fun star confetti backdrop? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      September 24, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      It’s just some fabric from the craft store! :)

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 10 Best Balloon DIYs – Inspiration – Hands Occupied says:
    September 25, 2013 at 1:59 am

    […] 3rd blog birthday was this week, and I celebrated with this fun balloon garland. It turns out many of my favorite crafty blogs to follow like to craft with balloons too. Above, […]

    Reply
  2. Party ideas : birthday balloons - Belle Bébés says:
    July 4, 2014 at 1:02 am

    […] this balloon garland from Hands Occupied would make a fun backdrop to the party […]

    Reply
  3. 風船でパーティーデコ | ベンジャミンズパーティー says:
    August 16, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    […] Day / Photoraphy by Hilda Grahnat 3.カラフルな風船を紐で繋げたガーランド Hands Occupied 4.膨らませるとメッセージが!招待状 Lavender’s Blue […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

UPDATES BY EMAIL

Monthly highlights sent to your inbox.

Find Me Elsewhere, If You’re There

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi GustadDiscover Unique Items

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Yarn craft designer & author. Into intarsia knits, latch hook, color & vintage-modern style.
❤️ Email for pattern support
👇🏻 Book, Patterns, Tutorials

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Are you looking for some late summer reading picks Are you looking for some late summer reading picks? Here are 3 fresh titles for makers of all ages - full reviews are on my bl0g, along with a giveaway for a copy of Knitstrips! The 🔗 is where you’d think. 😉
.
To Make by Danielle Davis (@writesinla) / Knitstrips by Alice Ormsbee Beltran & Karen Kim Mar (@ik_knitstrips) / This Long Tread by Jen Hewett (@jenhewett) 
. 
#summerreading #bookshelf #readingrecommendations #handsoccupied #booksformakers #craftbooks
New on the blog today! This former Librarian revie New on the blog today! This former Librarian reviews three making-related books for kids, teens & adults. And there’s a copy of one up for giveaway too! 📚 
.
To Make by Danielle Davis (@writesinla) with pictures by Mags DeRoma (@magsderoma) / Knitstrips (@ik_knitstrips) by Alice Ormsbee Beltran & Karen Kim Mar / This Long Thread by Jen Hewett (@jenhewett) 
.
I’ll share preview page-through videos for these this week too, but for now the written reviews are at the top of handsoccupied dot com along with my search bar if you can’t find ‘em. All giveaway details are listed in the review post. 🤙🏻 
.
(^ I heard a rumor that if I tell you to exit this app, no one will see this post, so plz forgive the song & dance just in case it matters. 🙈)
.
#handsoccupied #summerreading #booksformakers #booksforcrafters #books #knittersofinstagram #craftbook #knittingbook
I think about the wrong side of my intarsia knitti I think about the wrong side of my intarsia knitting kind of like some embroiderers do: I get (probably too) excited when the back’s neat and tidy. Are you this way? Is it just me? 
.
Pictured is the wrong side of a large primary color intarsia swatch I knit for an upcoming design in @brooklyntweed Arbor. When I pulled it from my studio, I thanked my former self for talking the time to knit, weave in ends, & block a clean swatch already. As critical as they are, I’m excited to not have to make one today. I’ll advocate for swatching all day long, but I won’t pretend it’s like the funnest step in the process! 😆🧶
.
#stopswatchandblockit #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #handsoccupied #knitincolor #knitdesign #handknits
Weaving in ends when you’re knitting with black Weaving in ends when you’re knitting with black yarn… 😅 
.
There are a few reasons 90% of my work is done in primary colors, & this is one of them! Lucky for me and my tear ducts, this secret monochromatic design project is off the needles. Just blocking, seaming, & then grading the thing before I can ship it off to make my deadline. 🤙🏻
Today’s knitting vocabulary words: deadline isla Today’s knitting vocabulary words: deadline island & intarsia lock. Have you run across these terms before? 
.
If there’s interest, I can share more examples of how to wrangle intarsia locks in a future video. With all of the intarsia designs in my queue, examples are sure to present themselves. 😅🧶 
.
#intarsia #deadlineisland #handsoccupied #intarsiaknitting #colorworkknitting
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy