Fun Facts Balloon Decorations

the idea

Hang photos with ‘fun facts you may not know about the guest of honor’ from helium balloons to entertain guests

fun facts party balloon decorations with photos and facts cards hanging from balloon strings

Old photos with Fun Facts about the birthday boy printed on the back hanging from helium balloon strings at a party

the how

Collect up old photos of the guest of honor from different stages of their life
Make a list of fun facts about them
Type one fact per piece of paper, trim to the same size as each photo, and glue to the back
Alternatively, upload digital / scanned photos and use the template below to have ‘Fun Facts’ cards printed and shipped (you have either print the fact on each card or leave it blank to hand-write it later)
Inflate helium balloons and attached one ‘Fun Fact’ photo to each string

the why

overhead decorations

Visibility; overhead decorations remain visible when the room is full of people
Intimacy; lowers the ceiling, reduces empty space, and makes large rooms and cavernous venues feel more full, which helps create a buzzy atmosphere
Focal points; decorations above bars, food stations, dance floors, or activities helps identify their location in large or crowded rooms and encourages mingling by creating destinations for guests to explore

the why

this idea

Special occasions should feel special; generic ‘off the shelf’ decorations are lazy and unimaginative
Personalized; customized decorations are more special and show you made an effort
Custom photos; opportunity to show the guest of honor at different ages ‘through the years’
Funny; quirky, lighthearted, or self-deprecating decorations will make guests smile
Entertaining; guests may not have seen funny or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor
Conversation-starter; gives guests something to talk about and discuss with one another
Discovery; allows guest to discover things they might not know about the guest of honor
Entertaining; will keep guests entertained during the party
Memorable; guests remember creative, unusual, or unexpected decorations
Collaborative; option to allow guests to contribute to makes everyone feel included
Surprise; a great way to surprise the guest of honor
Unusual; a less common party idea to impress guests
Inexpensive; a cost-effective party idea that won’t blow your budget
Bestseller; an idea that’s proved popular with my site’s visitors

photos and fun facts cards hanging from balloon strings at a party

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“A word of warning…a standard size photograph can be surprisingly heavy, especially when you stick another layer of printed paper to the back. It’s enough to make a helium balloon sink to the floor!

That’s why I created the template above, where you can scan and upload photos, add the text, and have them printed onto smaller cards that are lighter. The template allows you to print two different ‘Fun Facts’ cards onto one standard postcard size (4.25″ x 5.6″), which you can then cut in half, making two for the price of one.

Just remember to the edit the text if you need to change ‘birthday boy’ to ‘birthday girl’ (or any other recipient) and tick the “Attribution: Remove Independent Creator Credit” to delete the annoying QR code the printer has added to the design.

If you want to include old printed photos, these can be transferred to a digital format very inexpensively nowadays ($20-$30 for 100 photos, link below) and it’s a great opportunity to preserve them for years to come.

Similarly, old photos that are fading, discolored, or damaged can often be restored at the same time (see link below).

If you do use the printed templates, you can also turn this into a party activity by leaving a stack of blank cards nearby with a printable sign inviting guests to contribute their own ‘Fun Fact’ and attach it to a helium balloon. “