Easy Instructions for Using a Balloon Tying Tool

• Place the balloon tying tool on your index and middle fingers on your non-dominant hand.
• Wrap the end of a balloon once around the tool’s nose. Cross the end over the first wrap and pass it underneath through the tool's bottom opening.
• Pull the balloon straight off the tying tool to finish the knot.

Tying a Standard Balloon

Slide the tying tool on your fingers so it’s in your palm. A balloon tying tool is a plastic piece that has a long half-cylinder “nose” and a ring that slips over your fingers.To wear the tool, just put the index and middle fingers of your non-dominant hand through the ring. Make sure the open side of the nose is closer to your fingertips. If the tool feels loose in your hand, put your ring finger in the ring as well.Holding the tool so the nose is in your palm makes it easier to maintain your grip while you tie balloons, but you can try positioning the nose on the back of your hand if it feels more comfortable.

Wrap the end of an inflated balloon around the tool. After you blow up your balloon, pinch the end between your thumb and index finger on your non-dominant hand. Stretch the end of the balloon and wrap it once tightly around the middle of the nose.

Pass the end of the balloon through the middle of the tool. Cross the end of the balloon over the section you just wrapped around the tool’s nose. Guide the end into the hollow middle of the tool and push it underneath the stretched part of the balloon.

Pull the balloon off the end of the tool to finish tying it. Keep holding onto the end of the balloon as you slide it off the tool’s nose. Once the balloon is off the tool, just pull on the end to tighten the knot.

Tying Balloons on a Ribbon

Put the tool onto your fingers so it sits in your palm. Slide the tool’s ring onto your index and middle fingers on your non-dominant hand. Position the nose of the tying tool so it sits in your palm and the open side faces your fingertips.If it’s more comfortable, try positioning the tool so the nose is on the back of your hand instead. How you hold the tool all depends on your personal preference.

Stretch the end of a balloon around the tool. Blow up your balloon and pinch the end between your thumb and index finger. Then, pull the end of the balloon and wrap it tightly around the tying tool’s nose.

Secure the end of the balloon into a slot on the tying tool. The slots on the tying tool are either in the middle of the nose or near the base by your fingers. Tuck the end of the balloon into the slot so it stays still without having to hold it.

Place a ribbon inside of the tool so it’s under the balloon. When you want to string balloons together, feed a ribbon into the open side of the tying tool. Make sure it goes underneath the stretched section of the balloon so the knot secures the ribbon in place.

Pass the end of the balloon through the middle of the tying tool. Cross the end of the balloon over the part you just wrapped around the nose. Then, tuck the end of the balloon into the hollow part of the nose and feed it underneath the stretched section.

Pull the balloon off of the tool to secure the knot. Slide the balloon straight off of the end of the nose to take it off the tool. Then, just pull the end of the balloon tight to tie the ribbon inside of the knot.How many balloons do you need? Ahzahdeh Neshat, a professional balloon artist, says that if you want to make a garland, “each foot is going to take about 6 to 8 balloons.” She goes on to say, “If you're wanting…a more deluxe garland, you might need 10 to 12 balloons per foot.”