When my kids were little, helium balloons were all the rage at their birthday parties. Even as an adult, I find myself trying to source helium balloons for baby showers or other events I’ve hosted. However, helium canisters actually aren’t very good for the environment, and it can be expensive to fill up a bunch of helium balloons. Fortunately, you can inflate and elevate balloons without using helium!
You will need:
Distilled vinegar
Baking soda
Empty water bottles
Directions:
Step 1: Add a few tablespoons of distilled vinegar to the bottom of an empty water bottle.
Step 2: Using a small funnel, add about two tablespoons of the baking soda to a deflated balloon.
Step 3: Position the lip of the balloon onto the neck of the bottle. Be careful not to spill the baking soda into the bottle.
Step 4: Hold up the balloon, and watch it begin to inflate! If the process is really slow, give the bottle a few shakes to ramp up the reaction.
Step 5: When the balloon is full of air, pinch it off the bottle, tie a knot, and tie some decorative ribbon on the end.
And voila! I honestly can’t believe I never knew about this hack until now. This would have saved me many trips to the store when my kids were little! Thankfully, I know it now, and will definitely be trying this out for the bridal shower I’m hosting this spring!
