This post contains affiliate links.
Have you ever seen a balloon inside a balloon and wondered, how did they do that? How did they get a balloon inside of another balloon? Or have you ever wondered how you could customize your balloon colors to be exactly what you want? In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to make a double stuffed balloon.
What Is A Double Stuffed Balloon
A doubled stuffed balloon, also known as a layered balloon or a simply double balloon, is combining two balloons together, by stuffing one balloon inside the other balloon and then inflating the balloons, either separately or at the same time. Sometimes double stuffing balloons is done with different colored balloons and sometimes it is done with a colored balloon and a clear balloon. Double balloons are a great way to add value to your balloon decor
Why Do You Double Stuff Balloons
There are many reasons why you might want to double stuff a balloon. The most common reasons for double stuffing balloons (or layering balloons) are to create a bubble effect, to create a unique color pallet, or for extra durability.
Custom And Unique Balloon Colors
Did you know you can customize your balloon colors? Double stuffed balloons (or layered balloons) are a great way to customize balloon colors to your unique balloon colors. Balloon manufacturers make hundreds of different balloons colors but that still isn’t enough to cover all the colors, shades, and hues of a color pallet. In comes double stuffing balloons.
Double stuffing balloons allow you to create specific colors for any occasion. All you have to do is, place one balloon inside another and inflate both balloons at the same time. Voila! You have a specific balloon color combination.
Custom color matching with balloons can take some trial and error to get the specific color, shade, or, hue you are looking for. But don’t go at it alone. Many balloon artists have done a lot of the leg work for you and created custom balloon color charts for you to use.
Double Stuffed Balloon Color Charts
Some of the leading balloon manufacturers have put together their own custom balloon color charts. As I get them I will make them accessible to you. Click the links below so I can send them to you.
Qualatex Custom Color Charts
Different Types Of Double Balloons
There are a couple of different types of double balloons. The different types of double balloons are the maximum double balloon, the minimum double balloon, the equal double balloon, and the gumball double balloon.
The Maximum Double Balloon
The maximum double balloon is made with one colored balloon inside another clear balloon. The maximum double balloon is where the interior balloon fills up most of the space inside the outer balloon. You can see a small gap between the inner balloon and the outer balloon.
The Minimum Double Balloon
The minimum double balloon is made with one colored balloon inside another clear balloon. The minimum double balloon is where the interior balloon doesn’t fill up most of the outer balloon, it only takes up a minimum amount of space. You can see a big gap between the inner balloon and the outer balloon.
The Equal Double Balloon
The equal double balloon is where the interior and exterior balloons are blown up to exactly the same size at the same time. This style of double stuffing balloons is used for custom balloon colors and for extra durability in balloons.
The Gumball Double Balloon
The gumball double balloon is made with several colored balloons inside another clear balloon. The gumball double balloon is where you have several different balloons blown up inside the exterior balloon. This begins to look like a gumball machine.
Now that you know what the different types of double balloons are the same basic steps can be used to achieve each of these different double balloon styles, except for the gumball double balloon. The gumball double balloon is created a little differently. Check below for how to create a gumball double balloon.
How To Make A Double Balloon
What You Need:
- balloons
- a straw, chopstick, or pencil
- helium (if using)
- ribbon (if using helium)
- weight (if using helium)
- balloon pump (if not using helium)
Wrap The Balloon
Slip the inside balloon on the chopstick and twist the balloon as you turn the chopstick.
If you don’t have a balloon stick, chopstick, pencil, or straw you can fold the inner balloon in half and stick it inside the outer balloon.
Stuff The Balloon
Insert the inner balloon inside the outer balloon and remove the chopstick.
Make sure the little lips on the balloons are even with each other.
Now you’ve got two balloons one inside the other.
Inflate Double Balloon(s)
For The Max And Min Double Balloons
Inflate the outside balloon a little bit. Then inflate the inner balloon to desired fullness.
Now you should begin to see some space between the two balloons, depending on whether you are creating a maximum or a minimum double balloon.
Continue filling up the outside balloon to the desired inflation.
Sometimes it just takes a little bit of trial and error to know what you want your balloon to look like. If you want to make a maximum double balloon, you would need to blow both balloons up at the same time more than if you were wanting to make a minimal double balloon. If you were making an equal double balloon you wouldn’t blow up either balloon individually.
For The Equal Double Balloon
Inflate both balloons at the same time. Place the nozzle of the helium tank or the balloon pump inside the inner balloon and inflate as normal.
Tie A Double Stuffed Balloon
Now that you have your beautiful balloon inflated how you want it, how do I get both of these balloon necks to tie? Tying two balloons is a little different from tying just one balloon. It can be nearly impossible if you just try to tie them the same way you would with one balloon, especially as the balloons get bigger.
To tie a double balloon, pull the inside balloon neck out as far as you can and tie it around the neck of the second balloon, and continue like you would if you just had one balloon. The second balloon neck will get caught in the knot and you will end up with two tied balloons without the struggle of actually trying to tie two balloons. Check out my post on how to tie a balloon here.
Enjoy!
Congratulations! You have made yourself a double stuffed balloon.
Double Balloon Video
How To Make A Gumball Balloon
What You Need:
- balloons
- A balloon stick, straw, chopstick, or pencil
- helium (if using)
- ribbon (if using helium)
- weight (if using helium)
- balloon pump (if not using helium)
- scissors
Pro Tip: If you want your final gumball balloon to float, inflate all of your inside balloons with helium too. The inner balloons will NOT float inside the gumball balloon but having them inflated with helium will help keep the gumball balloon afloat.
Wrap The Balloon
Slip the inside balloon on the chopstick and twist the balloon as you turn the chopstick.
Stuff The Balloon
Gently slip the inner balloon inside the outer balloon.
Make sure the little lips on the balloons are even with each other.
Now you’ve got two balloons one inside the other.
Inflate The First Inner Balloon
Using your hand pump, balloon inflator, or helium (if using) inflate the inner balloon. Tie the inner balloon only.
Pro Tip: After tying the inner balloons, pull the knot tight and cut off the neck of the balloon before releasing it into the outer balloon.
Inflate The Outer Balloon
Inflate the outside balloon. This is my favorite part, I like the sound it makes as all the balloons begin to bounce around. This step may have to be repeated as you add more balloons because you might lose some air as you add the inner balloons. That is ok. Even if using helium, I still only use air for this step because you can always deflate the balloon prior to full inflating.
Continue Adding Inner Balloons
Continue adding and sizing (using the eyeball method of sizing a balloon) inner balloons to the outside balloon until you reach the desired amount of inner balloons. Following the same steps as before.
If you need more information about how to size a balloon using the eyeball method, check out my post Best Way To Size A Balloon here.
Inflate And Size Outer Balloon
Inflate the outer balloon one last time until it reaches the desired final size. If you need more information about how to size a balloon, check out my post Best Way To Size A Balloon.
Tie The Outer Balloon
Tie the outer balloon. If you need more information about how to tie a balloon, check out my post Learn To Tie A Balloon Like An Expert.
Enjoy!
You did it! You made a gumball balloon.
Some other posts you might be interested are Balloon Industry Events, Training, And Conventions, How To Make A Floating Balloon Arch, The Best Way To Transport Inflated Balloons, and How To Make A Balloon Tree Column.
I hope this post brought value to your day. If it did, please consider sharing with a friend or on your favorite social media. Thanks For Reading Fun With Balloons!
