Make a Baby Shower Hot Air Balloon

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Baby showers are such a special way to celebrate a new addition to a family. Making a baby shower hot air balloon is a fun centerpiece or welcoming sign to incorporate into your theme. I made this for my sister-in-law's elephant baby shower! The best part is it doesn't take a crazy amount of time or budget to bring it to life. If you have a blanket basket around along with a stuffie the mama to be would love (or could borrow) you only need to spend about $15-$20.

Hot air balloon baskets with balloons have become a popular decor item, it's nice to have a few focal points throughout the shower! Balloon projects are an affordable way to make an impact. If you've never made an arch don't be intimidated, we have a full tutorial! Or try some balloon clouds, a balloon flower or even a mosaic/balloon structure.

stuffed elephant in a basket made to look like a hot air balloon.

Supplies

¼ inch dowel rods
5 inch balloons in colors of choice (I used pastel blue, sand and white)
1, 18-inch balloon (I used one I had from a Lushra DIY kit, COZY10 for 10% off)
electric balloon pump (technically optional but really you'll want to use one.)
basket (similar to mine but you could use any basket or a basic laundry hamper even)
stuffed elephant or teddy bear
Balloon tape
Hot glue gun and mini glue sticks
Tape

5 inch balloons, dowel rods and a hot glue gun on a table.

Directions

Fist blow up your larger balloon and make sure it's the right size for your basket. This is the base/center of your hot air balloon.
Next attach the dowel rods to the basket, I used hot glue and then secured with duct tape. I used 2 ¼inch dowel rods cut in half. It actually is a bit easier to attach to a curved basket when the dowel is splintered on the end, but that wasn't intentional on my part it just worked out fortunately!

Securing dowel rod to a basket with hot glue and tape.

Then use glue dots to secure the large balloon between the dowel rods.
Blow up a large batch of 5inch balloons in the colors of your choice and have them ready to the side.
Using glue dots start adding the small balloons around the larger balloon and dowel rods to fill it out. I used about 60-70 balloons total.
Add your passenger stuffie and place on display for your guests!

Adding 5inch balloons to a larger balloon siting on dowel rods in a basket.

basket with dowel rods and balloons to make it look like a hot air balloon.

Tips

If using hot glue to add small balloons make sure it's on the cool glue setting. I got burnt pretty badly once when a super hot glue gun made a balloon pop.
Make in advance- it's not a super complicated craft project but it does take a bit of time. Small balloons will last up to 3 weeks to a month if stored inside.
When using your small balloons, glue or tape down the 'tail' so it's not visible when looking at the baby shower hot air balloon.

FAQ

What kind of hot glue should you use?

Definitely use a cool or low temp option for hot glue. Hot glue burns are possible if a high heat glue gun makes a balloon pop.

How long does this project take?

I would give it a few hours, it's possible to break it up by blowing up all the balloons and then in a separate session adhering them to the base.

What do the dowel rods do?

The dowel rods are a cheap way to give the appearance of a hot air balloon while securing the balloons to the basket base.