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I want to make some balloon weights and not sure how to make them heavy enough to hold a few helium balloons.

My plan was to fill a balloon with rice and tie the balloons to it but will that work?

Also, do I need to fill the balloons with helium or would normal air filled balloons last if I blew them up in the afternoon for a night parth

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

You could fill a plastic bottle with sand, rice or water and tie them to that. Ordinary balloons will stay up but they won't float obviously.

I think rice will work. The weights you get on kids helium balloons are very light really. You definitely need helium though or your balloons will just be sitting on the table and you won't need the weight!

Want something a bit nice than a plastic bottle for the weight as it's for a 40th birthday.

I saw a lovely idea of getting a bag and filling it with pebbles but have no idea where i'd get pebbles for free this week!

Need to do this for next to nothing cost wise.

Thanks angelika. The price of getting balloons pumped with helium though, a place i asked today charge €1.75 pe balloon. Hoping to find somewhere cheaper

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

If you can access some nice stones ....the smooth type that you find on the beach you can use them as weights...you could spray them a nice colour! Blowing the balloons yourself will not enable the balloon to 'float' like helium. If you do get helium filled balloons...store them in a cool area before using.

Would have no problem getting my hands on loads of black stones but not pebbles.

Thanks for the tip about storage

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

Clauds for ds christening I part filled a normal balloon with water and tied it, this made a ball shape. Then I wrapped it in a piece of foil wrapping paper to make it like a bath bomb with ribbon holding the wrapping paper on.

Thanks for that, will give that a try - see how it goes!

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

Its hard too describe but it looked like a mini version of the kinder easter eggs

Know what you mean!

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

That's what I saw do e with the bottles of water too, they were like little Body ?hop bottles covers in foil.

woodies seem to have a good selection, they seem the weights too. 1.75 is mad money, my friends pad a euro each for them, I think that was in Heatons, wouldn't pay more than that!

Could you get small rocks and wrap them in shiny paper with ribbon curls? Wouldn't cost much and easy enough to make.
If they were a strange shape, wrap them in a few layers of newspaper to smooth out the shape first.

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Proud mammy of three beautiful girls



Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

Mr. price will do 8 balloons with helium and ribbon for € 6 and the weights are € 1

I used cheap pound shop soothers for a baby shower!

What is the ocassion, maybe you could tie something on that is symbolic.

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"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids." ~ Unknown

It's a 40th party, no theme.

Wow, heatons are way cheaper, great to know.

Must look in Woodies tomorrow and see can I get inspiration there.

Thanks for all the advice.

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

How about attaching them to bottles of the birthday persons drink of choice......full or empty?

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"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids." ~ Unknown

Rainbow, that's my plan only I was going to use rice but the rice is very bumpy looking in the balloons so I think I'll switch to sand! Hoping it will be heavy enough.

Busy Being Mammy - love that idea but I honestly have no money left in the budget to do that.

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

Just tie the strings of the balloons to the stem of a wine glass and rest it on it's side on the tables.
It will hold the balloons together and the balloons will stabilise the glass in place. You can always half fill the glass with some coloured sand {use moonsand if you're looking for a use for it other than hoovering it up off your DD's bedroom floor!} and put a tea light sitting into it. If the wine glasses are red ones they'll have a nice bulb shape to them and accommodate the sand and candle really nicely.

You need to use helium if you want them to last all day. Ordinary balloons won't float, so you won't be using ribbons to hold them to any weights.

HTH

My mom had a balloon business in the early eighties (when it might have been cool. Was it ever cool? ). She used small tins of pet food with colorful layers of mylar or wrapping paper gathered around it and tied with a ribbon. Relatively low profile, heavy, looks good, and cheap.

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The little boy is 8
The littler girl is 3

Bambii, that is a great idea. Moon sand is banned in our house though!! Wonder would the venue let me do that, really nice idea. So leave the wine glass on it's side with the sand and candle in it?

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe

Yup!
Where are you? There are two tubs of it in my ensuite bin that landed into it yesterday afternoon after I'd confiscated it!
You're welcome to it!

Alternatively, use sugar. Put in into the glass and then add a couple of drops of food colouring with a dropper. It'll soak through into the sugar over a few hours and even if it doesn't go the whole way through, it'll still look pretty. Cheap and cheerful!

Just did a little test there. If you use sugar, the food colouring will 'ball' up initially. Just put your hand over the glass with the sugar and colouring in it and shake it around. The 'ball' disintegrates and colours the sugar.

The only problem is putting the glass on it's side means the candle blackens the top of the glass so you're better off standing the wine glass, and putting the sugar and candle into it standing up. Make sure the balloons are high enough away from the heat of the tealight though - about two foot of ribbon or more will do the job!

HTH

Thanks so much for that - I will test it out tomorrow

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe