How to Make a Hot Air Balloon Centerpiece for a Wedding

Imagine your wedding reception tables topped with replicas of a hot air balloon! In this easy tutorial, we’ve taken real balloons and made them into small-scale hot air balloon centerpieces for a wedding that also double up as your table number holders. This fun project would be perfect for a summer wedding with a travel-oriented theme! So, let your imagination take flight with this fun decorating idea for a hot air balloon centerpiece you can make yourself! Have fun!

Step 1: Prepare your materials for making the hot air balloon centerpiece.

Begin by assembling the following materials, taking note of the number of balloon centerpieces you will need at the wedding:

1. white balloons on sticks (choose a color that suits your party’s color scheme)
2. small baskets
3. glass stones or marbles (regular small stones may do as well)
4. tiny flowers (fresh or faux)
5. ribbons to match your color palette (for this project: peach and grey)
6. small wooden skewer
7. felt cutout table numbers
8. crafting glue
9. hot glue gun
10. pair of scissors

Steps 2 and 3: Secure the balloons on the sticks; and wrap each stick with ribbon.

If you can purchase the balloons already inflated and on sticks, that’s a plus. But if you need to inflate them yourself:

1. You can use a small manual pump, available at party supply or crafts stores.
2. Or you can go the old-fashioned route of simply blowing up the balloons by mouth!
3. Attach the balloons to the sticks, making sure that the ends are tightly inserted into the slots provided and securely knotted

Next, decorate the sticks with different colors of ribbon. Wind ribbon around the entire length of each stick to cover it. And then, apply dabs of white glue or hot glue to keep the ribbon in place.

Step 4: Stand the sticks in the baskets; and use glass stones as weights.

1. Stand each balloon-on-a-stick in a basket and secure in place.
2. Take the small wooden skewers and cut them to fit snugly from one inside edge of each basket to the other.
3. Attach the balloon stick to the skewer with hot glue, then secure with ribbon.
4. For added stability, you may put a dab of hot glue to secure the skewer ends to the basket.
5. Fill the bottom third or half of each basket with glass stones or marbles.

Step 5: Decorate the balloons with ribbons and flowers.

To simulate the look of hot air balloons, use satin ribbons to complete the decoration. Be sure to:

1. Take different colors of narrow satin ribbon and tie them one by one to the base of the balloon stick below the wooden skewer.
2. Extend each ribbon up and over the balloon, and secure in place with a few dabs of glue. Warning: Do not use hot glue for this for obvious reasons!
3. Repeat this process with different colors of ribbon, until you’ve complete about 5 or 6.

Then, for a pretty finishing touch, fill each basket with a bunch of fresh or faux flowers, like baby’s breath, asters, or any petite blooms to suit your color scheme.

Step 6: Attach the table numbers. Then, show off your balloon centerpiece!

You have the option of keeping these as lovely balloon centerpieces to grace your wedding tables, or let them serve a dual purpose by transforming them into table numbers.

If you decide on the table number idea, simply attach the felt cutout numbers to the balloons with white glue. Hint: Another option is to use erasable markers that will allow you to handwrite the table numbers! Or an alternative would be to simply glue the numbers on to skewers or pretty vintage-style cards, and tuck these into each basket among the flowers!

Be sure to view the full vintage travel-themed wedding table that we created in a previous post!

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