How to Make a 
Balloon Stand for Columns

While you can get ready made balloon column stands from specialized suppliers and even at Amazon, why not try making one yourself?

This super short tutorial shows you how to make a balloon stand in just a few simple steps at home. 

What You Need for Your Balloon Column Stand

• a timber board (e.g. plywood or blockboard), dimensions 12" x 12" x 0.8" (30cm x 30cm x 2cm)
• 1/2" pipe flange (metal)
• threaded conduit or PVC pole; the length depends on the height of the column; in our example the PVC pole is ca. 6.5ft (2 m) long
• screws for attaching the flange to the timber base and a matching screwdriver
• fine sandpaper

You should be able to get all these items inexpensively at your local DIY or hardware store.

How to Make the Balloon Stand

First, make sure that your timber board has no sharp edges or rough patches on the surface. If necessary, smoothen those with fine sandpaper. 

Find the center of the board by marking out two diagonal lines from corner to corner (fig. 1).

Place the 1/2" pipe flange in the center and screw it into position (fig. 2). 

Now screw the conduit into the flange (fig. 3) and that's it! Your DIY stand for your balloon tower is finished. 

That was incredibly easy, right? And you can of course reuse this balloon tower stand, as long as you pick it up from the venue after the event. 

Now you are all set to create a beautiful spiral balloon column with the help of our step-by-step tutorial. 

If you liked this balloon columns stand tutorial, please share it on Pinterest!

Frequently Asked Questions About Balloon Columns & Balloon Column Stands

How much will the material for the stand cost me?

For the pipe flange you'll pay between $5 and $7. The conduit (often called pipe at places like HomeDepot.com) you can get for as low as $3 for 10ft.

And a small piece of timber or plywood shouldn't cost more than a couple of bucks either. So your overall cost would be around $10 to $15.

Can I use the stand for a balloon arch? And may I use a smaller timber board?

Yes, these self-made bases work well for balloon arches too. You can use smaller timber boards, as long as the base is sturdy enough to keep the arch in place.

Can I re-use the column stands?

Absolutely. And they are easy to store. Just unscrew the pole and you can neatly store the base plate and the pole separately. 

Do I need larger base plates for a taller column (10 ft or more)?

The base doesn't have to be larger, but it should be heavier. One easy way to achieve this is to fill two balloons from the bottom cluster with sand.

Alternatively you could use a steel plate instead of plywood. Or you could tie the plywood plate to a concrete stepping stone with the same dimensions as your plywood base.

How do I replace one of the balloons if it pops?

Tie a color matching ribbon or an uninflated 260q balloon to the replacement balloon. Then tie it to the pole or insert the balloon snugly and wind the ribbon or260q throughout the balloon clusters on the column.