Balloon garland is all the rage. No matter what kind of party you're having, there's an occasion for one of these balloon arches. If you stick with the red, white and blue style of this tutorial from Wholesale Party Supplies , you'll have the perfect decoration for any summer cookout. The best thing about this party accessory is that you don't need helium to complete it! Incorporate different sized balloons and various patterns to spruce up your dessert table or spice up your photo booth backdrop.

Tara at Spot of Tea Designs styled and photographed this patriotic post! See what else is popping over on her blog!

Step 1: Supplies:

To complete this DIY Balloon Garland you'll need the following items:

Assortment of balloons in different colors and patterns
Balloon pump
Balloon decorating strip
Star String Decorations
Double sided tape
Command Hooks (not pictured)

Step 2: Blow Up Your Balloons

Start off by blowing up your balloons. You should make sure you've got an assortment of sizes. You don't need any helium to complete your garland. We recommend using a balloon pump but blowing up the balloons with your mouth will work just the same.

Pro Tip: If you want to blow up your balloons in advance, keep them in a garbage bag until you're ready to assemble your arch!

Step 3: Assemble the Garland

Start with the larger balloons and insert them into the decorating strip. Make sure to skip every other whole and also alternate which side you put them in. Also, try to vary the colors and patterns you insert so that they're spread out throughout the strip.

Step 4: Hang Your Balloon Garland

Keep your balloon placement towards the center of the decorating strip so that you have some length at the ends to hang the strip from your command hooks.

Step 5: Add in the Smaller Balloons

Now that your garland is in place, start adding the smaller balloons into the arch. You can attach them with double-sided tape or by using the holes you originally skipped when attaching the larger balloons. Again, keep in mind where you're placing the different colors and patterns.

Step 6: Add Decorations to the Arch

Spice up the garland with different shapes. For this patriotic garland, Tara snipped stars from the decorating strip and used double-sided tape to add them to the balloons. You can make shapes from construction paper or foam that fit your party's theme or repurpose pieces from other decroations.