Confetti balloons need static electricity or Hi-Float for the confetti to stick to the walls of the balloon. Another option is pre-filled confetti balloons.
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Humidity/moisture destroys static, so it takes a little more effort to get the confetti to stick to the balloon under moist or humid conditions.
We have tried a few different methods to create and sustain the static that is required for the confetti to stick to the balloon. Below are some guidelines that you may find helpful.
Supplies Needed:
- Clear latex balloons, bubble balloons, or Bobo Balloons so the confetti is visible.
- Confetti
- Expander Pliers and/or funnel
- Microfiber Cloth
Kindly Note: Clear latex balloons are never 100% transparent and have a foggy look to them. However, the more you inflate the balloon, the more transparent the balloon will become, so make sure to fully inflate the balloon's teardrop shape
METHOD 1 for Tissue Confetti
Preferred method
- Use expander pliers to open up a balloon. Insert a funnel and make sure it is bigger than the pieces of confetti, but not so big that you tear the latex balloon. Using a wider mouth funnel ensures that you do not crush the pieces of confetti when you are inserting them into the balloon.
- Stretch the opening of your balloon around the opening of the funnel.
- Drop the pieces of confetti into the balloon individually. Try to touch the top and bottom of each piece of confetti individually since this creates static electricity. Be careful doing this so that you do not fold the pieces of confetti. The confetti needs to be flat to help it properly stick to the balloon.
- Inflate the balloon with a hand pump to roughly about 5-6 inches for a 12-inch balloon, then very slowly fill the rest with helium. This will limit the float time of the balloon, but the confetti will stick better.
- Tie the balloon off and tie on your ribbon, then gently roll the balloon, letting the pieces stick to the sides of the balloon
- To increase static, take a piece of fleece and put it in the dryer for 5 minutes, then rub it around the balloon so that the static will transfer onto the balloon. Alternatively, you can rub the balloon on your head. Make sure to rotate the balloon. The parts of the balloon that rub against the balloon from your head will create more static than other parts.
We have found that the more air you put into the balloon, the more confetti will stick to the sides of the balloon. However, the problem with this is that this will also affect your float times. Under ideal conditions, a 12-inch balloon filled with pure helium will float for 15-24 hours. Adding air and confetti could cut your float time in half. For this reason, we recommend prepping your balloons before your event and filling them right before or using larger-sized balloons with longer float times.
The amount of confetti that will stick to a balloon is never certain. It could be a lot or none. Also, over time, the confetti will fall from the sides, so there will be less confetti stuck to the balloons as time goes on.
METHOD 2 for Tissue Confetti
This method is temporary. Hi-float is not clear, and as time goes on, it will create a film on the inside of the balloon, causing it to be semitransparent or even opaque. For this reason, we only suggest you use this method when other methods do not work. If you need to use this method, preparation should take place as close to the beginning of the event as possible.
- Insert the Hi-Float applicator into the end of the balloon and dispense a very small amount of Hi-Float into the balloon, trying not to get it on the neck of the balloon. Massage the balloon before it is inflated to disperse the Hi-Float around the balloon evenly. Pinch the end of the balloon at the base of the balloon to be sure that no Hi-Float goes in the neck of the balloon.
- Use the funnel created in method one, step one to drop the confetti only into the neck of the balloon where there is no Hi-Float.
- Quickly inflate the balloon with helium to spray the dots all over the edges of the balloon. Do not stop inflating until the balloon is full size.
See the video below demonstrating how to fill a bobo balloon with confetti.
©05.09.25L
