How to Tie a Ribbon Around a Balloon

Steps to Tie a Balloon

1. In your left hand, lay the ribbon across your palm, allowing enough ribbon for a tail to extend from your fingertips. 
2. Place the neck of an inflated balloon across the ribbon (neck pointing up) and hold both securely with your left thumb. 
3. With your right hand, stretch the neck around the index and middle fingers of your left hand, and then back around to the front. 
4. Use your thumb and forefinger to tuck in the neck, making sure to grab the ribbon while making the knot. 
5. Remove fingers from the knot. Curl ribbon tail.
   

Benefits
• Lets you tie the balloon and attach the ribbon in one fast, easy step.
• Allows you to adjust the balloon height by gently sliding the balloon up or down the ribbon.
• With experience, you’ll be able to create a bouquet of twelve 11-inch (28cm) latex balloons in less than five minutes!


Tips
• Left-handed persons should use opposite hands.
• To save your fingers, tie the balloon close to your fingertips.
• DO NOT use this method for outdoor balloon work, as the wind may pull the balloon off of the ribbon.


Double-loop Ribbon Knot

1. Form the ribbon into a loop about 3 inches (7.6cm) in diameter and hold the base of the loop in your right hand. 
2. Place the thumb and forefinger of your left hand inside the loop, and pull the loop so that your thumb and forefinger are pointing up. 
3. While holding the ribbon taut in your right hand, rotate your thumb and finger over the ribbon so they are pointing downward. You should now have one loop over your thumb and forefinger. 
4. Pinch your left thumb and forefinger together. Keeping your thumb and forefinger pinched, slide the ribbon toward your right hand with your right forefinger, catching the ribbon between your right thumb and forefinger. 
5. Both hands should be facing each other and pinching both loops between them. Keeping the loops together, slip them over the neck of the balloon. 
6. Remove your fingers from the loops, and pull the ribbon to tighten the loops around the neck of the balloon. 
7. Curl ribbon tail.
   
   

General Tips
• To help speed up balloon tying, visually pick out the next balloon before you finish tying the balloon in your hands. Your hands will automatically go to a specific balloon and handle it with much less fumbling if you focus on it. As you become more proficient, you will see more time is taken between balloons than tying them.

• Pre-cut your ribbon in standard lengths of about 6 feet (1.8m), leaving room for foot-long ribbon tails. That way, when you’re ready for the ribbon, it’s ready for you!

• When tying lots of knots, tape your finger with first-aid or sports tape to prevent splitting, blistering, and calluses.

• To reduce finger pain and increase tying speed, tie latex balloons as close to your fingertips as possible, not up at your knuckles.


Tying Ribbon to Microfoil® Balloons
Microfoil balloons feature a notch on the tail below the self-sealing valve. Make sure to tie the ribbon at the notch to avoid damaging the valve and causing a leak. This also allows for helium to be added if needed.

Tying Ribbon to Microfoil Balloons While Concealing the Tails

This method enhances the shape of the balloon. Lay ribbon across the tail of the balloon with about 10 inches (25cm) off to one side curling. Roll the tail up with the ribbon inside as shown. Pull the ribbon tight as you tie it in a knot so the tail makes a “U” shape as shown.

PDF Instructions 

The ribbon must be nonmetallic for latex balloons, as metallic ribbons can cut latex balloons.

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