As a balloon artist, I’m always interested in trying out new ballooning products, and I found that the Shimmer and Confetti Premium DIY Organic Balloon Arch Kit was a good kit for those who want to make their own balloon arch. The kit contains everything that you would need to an organic ballon arch including 130 latex balloons in fuchsia, baby pink, white and pearl peach, 10 gold confetti balloons, 4 round foil balloons, 16’ of balloons strip, fishing line, gold curling ribbon, 200 glue dots, a dual-action hand pump, and a set of instructions. . The only thing you’ll need is some Command adhesive hooks to attach the arch to the wall/ceiling and plenty of patience. I would recommend getting an electric balloon pump if you’re planning on making an arch of this size as it will take a LONG time to inflate all these balloons. There are a couple of dual electric pumps available on Amazon for about $20. Because this is an organic balloon arch, you won’t need a sizer. All of the balloons were well made, uniformly colored, and the end product looked very cute.
The balloons themselves are quite well made, although not as good as brands such as Qualatex or Betallatex. The balloons are a good thickness and are evenly colored, although the solid color balloons have a small “dot” on the top of the balloon, presumably where the latex pools when the balloon was made. It’s not a huge issue for most people, but as a balloon artist, I personally don’t like that “nipple effect” that was on every balloon. The clear confetti balloons were clear and there was a good amount of confetti in each of the balloons. To get the confetti to spread easily, simply rub a wool scarf on the outside of the balloon to create static so the confetti sticks to the sides. If you use helium in these balloons, you will need to add some air in to make the static trick work.
The instructions were fairly clear and while I don’t usually use balloon strips to make my own arches, I found that they worked well at keeping the balloons in place. Because this is a free form strip, you will need a means to attach these to the wall/curtains/etc. I use Command hooks so the arch can be removed easily, although you can use tape as well. I will note that these arches take a LONG time to make - not because it’s particularly difficult, but because inflating over 100 balloons takes a LONG time, especially if you’re planning on using a hand pump. The included pump, while it is dual action, is average at best and you will have a very tired arm after inflating a few. Overall, if you’re looking for an all in one balloon arch set, this is a good one to consider.
