Designing with
Premium Balloon Stems

Design by Bruce Walden, CBA

For years, Bruce Walden, president of Walden Productions, struggled to design air-filled balloon arrangements. Even after winning first place in the International Balloon Arts Convention centerpiece competition, he still felt his arrangements were weak. Studies at the Ontario College of Art and the Frankie Shelton School of Floral Design improved things somewhat... but not enough.

Eventually, Bruce realized the main obstacle to creating stunning designs was the unattractive balloon supports available at the time. The typically white, straight sticks took away from the streamlined beauty and vivid colors of the balloons. Deciding a colored moldable support was required that hid the balloon neck and knot, Bruce worked with Premium Balloon Accessories to develop the Premium Balloon Stems. Air-filled arrangements will never be the same!

The Balloon Stems are available in 4 useful colors – silver, gold, black and a true leaf green, perfect for hiding mechanics when combining balloons with flowers. Each Stem is made of a flexible material that allows them to be molded with your hands into any desired shape. The classic crescent design shown above was made possible by gently curving the green stems. But wild zigzags might be perfect if the party theme is futuristic.



Each 16" Premium Balloon Stem features a V-shaped collar (like a carnation calyx) that slides up the support. Snapping into position, it completely hides the balloon neck and knot for a sleek appearance.

Design by Kelli Sipp, CBA

As you can see from Kelli Sipp’s New Year’s Eve centerpiece above, the Premium Balloon Stems support both small air-filled latex and foil balloons. The silver Stems she used in this IBAC 15 competition piece helped make it a huge success. A talented artist, Kelli used Balloon Stems in all of her IBAC 15 competition arrangements... and went on to win every contest... and take home the prestigious “designer of the year” title!
Since the balloon mechanics no longer need to be hidden in a design, the possibilities are endless for creativity. In this tropical arrangement, Bruce filled a glass vase with water-filled balloons. The elasticity of the balloons, pressing against each other and the glass, supplied support for all the stems – both floral and balloon. Just wait ’til you see what you come up with!

To see more photos of Bruce’s floral and balloon combination designs, click here.


Give your balloons the support they deserve... ask your balloon distributor about Premium Balloon Stems. Or click here to visit the Premium Balloon Accessories web site for more information.







Return to Home page


Design by Bruce Walden, CBA