How to inflate a foil balloon at home
A foil balloon looks complicated until you have done one. After that it takes about a minute. Here is how we do it at our own parties.
Find the valve
Lay the balloon flat on a table, printed side up. At the base there is a small tab made of two clear layers. That is the valve. Slide a drinking straw between the two layers and push gently until you feel it pass the inner seal, usually an inch or two inside.
Fill with air
Blow steadily through the straw or attach a hand pump. Shaped balloons fill unevenly, so pause now and then and smooth the air into the arms, ears and wheels. Stop when the balloon is firm and the seam wrinkles have mostly gone.
Pinch the valve, pull the straw out, and let go. The valve seals itself. An air-filled balloon will not float, so tape it to the wall or tie it to a chair.
Fill with helium
Push the valve over the helium nozzle and hold it snug with your fingers. Fill in short bursts. Foil does not stretch like latex, so stop as soon as it feels firm. Tie a ribbon below the valve and add a weight before you let go.
Keep it up
Keep foil balloons away from heat, direct sun and ceiling lights. Helium expands in warmth and shrinks in cold, so a balloon that looks soft in a chilly hallway will firm up again in a warm room. A balloon that has gone soft can be topped up through the same valve.
