In case you have not figured it out yet, balloon arches are a must-have item for all celebrations and important events.
Whether it’s a birthday celebration, a baby gender reveal, a wedding shower, a graduation party, or a corporate event, the appropriate balloon arch is the piéce de résistance.
And this year, on the first day of classes, almost every school had it’s very own balloon arch done in its specific school colors cheerfully welcoming kids to the upcoming school year – with the added bonus of the perfect site for a beautiful picture of the kiddos for those ubiquitous (and necessary) social media posts.
But where and when did the current trend of the beloved ballon arch get its start?
Well, it all started with the invention of the party balloon, of course.
As such, all the credit for the common kiddy balloon goes to scientist Michael Faraday, when he created the rubber balloon as part of his experimentation with hydrogen for London’s Royal Institute in 1824. But those first Faraday balloons were not made with party fun for kids in mind. Instead, they were simply two sheets of rubber pressed and sealed together at the edges, in order to hold and study hydrogen gas.
Later on, another Englishman, Thomas Hancock, improved the manufacturing process of Faraday’s balloons during the era of the Industrial Revolution. Hancock’s do-it-yourself ballon kits opened a world of possibilities for using the balloon, including that of fun and entertainment.
So, kids and adults alike have been enjoying ballons as party favors and decorations for two centuries now, but the evolution of the decorative balloon arch began in the 1970s.
Treb Heining, founder of Glass House Balloon, openly lays claim to the invention of the balloon arch as it is currently known.
Now, whether this claim is totally accurate or not, his explanation for this evolution sounds legitimate. He worked for 12 years creating decorations for Disneyland, where he garnered the title of Balloon Boy. And later, in 1970, he started BalloonArch by Treb, after simply putting four balloons on a paper clip and attaching them to a packed garland.
His business grew exponentially from there, as did the balloon artform itself. Now, 55 years later, every inventive momma and teacher in the world can produce some form or fashion of the balloon arch, humble though they might be.
In fact, on a recent trip to the Dominican Republic with Operation Christmas Child, I saw one of the most beautiful, and-crafted balloon arches in a very small village school, obviously made with few resources other than several bags of regular party balloons.
I sat there in awe as I admired that elaborate labor of love for those students done by their teachers. To be honest, I doubt that I will ever look at a balloon arch in the same way again. Not even the gigantic, expensive ones designed and created by corporate artists.
So, this year, as you stop under the beautiful ballon arch at your school to take a photograph with your precious students, take the time to ask about its creator. And thank the artist(s) for their creativity and efforts.
While you’re at it, share their names and contact information, because Mississippi has some amazing balloon artists – like Northeast Mississippi’s very own KatieDid! Balloons.
View her gorgeous ballon creations on Facebook at facebook.com/KatieDidBalloons/, and KatieDid! can be also found on Instagram at katiedid_balloons.
And be watching online for some spectacular KatieDid! creations displayed on several of the state’s college campuses for upcoming Sorority Week celebrations.
The truth is, KatieDid! and other Mississippi ballon artists deserve to be celebrated every day – for taking what was intended as a simple scientific experiment and turning it into an absolutely beautiful form of art that we all get to enjoy.
*All photos are courtesy of KatieDid! Balloons FB
