---

I love to use heat sealed balloons in my designs. They add such a wow factor and creative twist you can’t get on the high street. A lot of balloon business owners, though, tell me they struggle to get consistent results with heat sealing. In this blog, we will look at what is heat sealing, why you should definitely be doing it in your business and I will show you a neat trick (check out the video below) I learned to ensure you get consistent results every time you heat seal! I am also going to share some creative inspiration from amazing balloon artists that will get you loving heat-sealed designs!

---

Stunning Jungle Garland Created by Angela Louise McGuinn of Pink Flamingo

What balloons need heat sealing?

Microfoils (also known as non-valved balloons) are the smaller foil balloons which have no automatic valve. They are airfilled only as they do not have enough gas capacity to float if filled with helium. Because they have no valve the air will escape if not heat sealed to create a permanent seal on the balloon.

Microfoils come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Plain ones come in star, heart and circle – 4” or 9”- and are in a variety of colours. Character and printed foils come in 9“ and 14” and the odd other size. There are a huge variety to choose from covering the majority of celebrations as well as popular characters. Many of the microfoils compliment the designs of the larger balloons allowing you to create gorgeous designs around a theme.

Why it’s great to use balloons that require heat sealing.

Heat sealed balloons add such wow factor to your designs. But what are the other benefits of adding heat sealed balloons to your designs?

• 

• 

Gorgeous Panda and flamingo themed number by 1 by Lucy Dunn of Luxe Balloons Essex
Fabulous Dinosaur themed number 7 by Leigh Wilson-Brown of Boutique Balloons & Events

• 

• 

Stunning Frozen themed number 3 by Cait Glindon-Gavin of Love from Lill
Beautiful LOL Dolls Number 5 by Lindsay Jones of Elegant Balloons & Events

Amazing Disney inspired number 18 by Haylie Munday of Ballooning Brilliant

• 

• 

Fabulous PJ Masks design created by Hannah of Dream Big Events
Gorgeous Christmas Candy cups by Leigh Wilson-Brown of Boutique Balloons & Events

• 

• 

Stunning Mermaid No 6 created by Lucy Dunn of Luxe Balloons Essex
Gorgeous Peppa Pig themed No 2 created by Clare West of Twisted Inflations

What equipment do you need to heat seal balloons?

Heat sealing requires a way of heating the foil so it adheres to itself and forms a seal. Over the years I have heard people say they use hair straighteners and all sorts of other devices. It’s my experience that to get consistent results you are best to invest in an inexpensive heat sealer. Heat sealers can be purchased from most balloon wholesalers as well as Amazon and othe places. They generally come in two sizes: 8 inch or 12 inch. I prefer the 12” as it gives more to work with.

The heat sealer contains a wire which is covered by a non stick sleeve. You place the foil on top of the surface of the heat sealer and then press down to seal. A light will come on whilst heating is taking place and go off when you should release.

Number 1 tip for heat sealing

It can be tricky (especially when first starting) to get a good secure seal. Watch this video where I share a tip I learned to get a wide consistent seal EVERY single time!

What setting should you set your heat sealer on?

One of the questions I regularly get is what heat setting should the heat sealer be set on. This is tricky to answer as every heat sealer can be slightly different! Having used many at different events and training over the years I would generally say 2-3 works well but it is a case of trying yours out and finding a setting that works well. Once you have it set it should work fine for years. If you do find that your heat sealer isn’t working as expected you may need to change the wire element – it can become worn over time. Most heat dealers come with replacement wires and replacement sleeves. Replacement sleeves may be required if foils become overheated and the colour from the balloon transfers on to them as they may then mark future balloons. Sometimes you can remove the colour by pressing greaseproof paper but stubborn stains may need the cover to be changed.

• 

• 

Wonderful Jungle themed number 1 by Samantha Cadman of S & C Designs
Fabulous Dinosaur themed number 4 by Iris Hurley of Best Balloons Cork

Want more Inspiration or great tips?

I did a call for submissions of heat-sealed balloon designs for this blog post in the Balloon Biz Community Facebook group and was totally blown away by how many amazing submissions I got! I wish I could have included them all as they were all incredible! If you want to see more inspiration, great tips or get involved in the highly engaged and supportive community you can find the Facebook Group by clicking on the big pink button below!

Credits for all the gorgeous balloon designs included in this blog post!

Thank you to everyone who submitted amazing balloon designs for this blog post! There were so many to choose from! If you would like to check out any of the featured balloon artists amazing work you can find links to their website or social media below:
Angela Louise McGuinn of Pink Flamingo https://www.facebook.com/pinkflamingo2018/
Lucy Dunn of Luxe Balloons Essex https://www.facebook.com/luxeballoonsessex
Leigh Wilson-Brown of Boutique Balloons & Events https://www.facebook.com/BoutiqueBalloonsandEvents
Cait Glindon-Gavin of Love from Lill https://www.facebook.com/lovefromlill
Lindsay Jones of Elegant Balloons & Events https://www.instagram.com/elegant_balloons_events/
Haylie Munday of Ballooning Brilliant https://www.facebook.com/BallooningBrilliantuk/
Hannah of Dream Big Events https://www.instagram.com/dreambigeventsxx/
Clare West of Twisted Inflations www.facebook.com/twistedinflationsuk
Samantha Cadman of S & C Designs https://www.facebook.com/scdesignsgettingpersonal/
Iris Hurley of Best Balloons Cork www.facebook.com/bestballoonscork

Huge thanks to everyone who contributed their gorgeous designs to inspire others with this blog post – your support is HUGELY appreciated!

---