Balloons are a part of celebrations. From birthdays to graduations to baby showers, youâll always see balloons there. There are many types of balloons that are used from helium to latex. But the real question is, how to blow up balloons? Of course, the most obvious way (which will be talked about in-depth here) is through the mouth. Did you know there are many other ways to do so? Read on to see how to blow up balloons.

How to blow the balloons through the mouth
This is the most obvious and easiest way (if you have that lung capacity). It works if you have no pump at home to blow the balloons up or donât want to be bothered to pay someone to do it for you.
Stretch the balloon
You need to stretch the balloon to make sure that you can blow in the balloon. When latex stretches, it makes it easier to expand under the pressure of the air thatâs caused by your mouth.
Pinch the Neck
Youâll want to pinch the neck with your thumb and finger so that you can hold on to the balloon. If you donât have a grip on the balloon, itâll be hard to blow and itâll âflyâ all over the place.
Blow into the balloon
Now youâll want to blow into the balloon by pretending your kissing but instead, youâre taking a deep breath. After you got the amount of air that you want inside the balloon, you will need to make sure that air doesnât escape. Remember to make sure you are blowing the balloon, not your cheeks, otherwise, youâll be wasting your breath literally.
Stop Blowing
After you get the size of the balloon that you wanted, stop and pinch the neck tightly before it loses air. Youâll know this if the balloon feels tough.
Tie the balloon
You are done! Make sure that you tie the balloon properly or itâll literally go everywhere if you let it go.
How to blow up helium balloons
Balloons filled with helium are fun to have because they look pretty and you can make squeaky noises (out of the rubber ones) as youâre blowing these balloons up. Remember that children should not be near the gas cylinder. However, you canât do it with your own mouth as you need a gas cylinder to do so. Also, balloons that have helium in them usually fly much higher than ones with ordinary air.
Use the correct size nozzle to use on the gas cylinders.
Size matters
The smaller nozzles for the gas cylinders are usually used for the foil balloons. The larger nozzles are used for the rubber balloons since they can stretch.
Open up the gas valve
On the gas cylinder, youâll have to open up the valve counterclockwise in order to ârelease gasâ. You know you got it right when you are able to blow up your balloon with ease.
Make sure the neck is secure
Whether you are using foil or a rubber balloon, youâll want to make sure that the neck is securely on the nozzle so that the helium can get in there.
Push down
Now it is time to push down the valve with the same hand that is holding the balloon on the nozzle to get helium in it. You can use another hand if you need to, but usually, only one hand is required.
Tie the balloon
Assuming that you have the perfect amount of helium in the balloon, it is now time to tie the balloon. Remember to make a loop and ensure that the balloon is tired.
Close gas valve
This is extremely important. If you forget to turn it off, you will lose gas in that container. Remember to close the valve after you are done blowing up your balloons.
Blowing up balloons via pump
This is the other common way to blow up balloons at home cheaply. Itâs more convenient if you know what you are doing. However, you should know that children should not be using a pump due to them potentially injuring themselves.
Put the balloon on the nozzle
Youâll want to make sure that the balloon fits on the nozzle. By doing that, youâll ensure that the balloonâs neck is around the nozzle securely.
Pump air
If you are using a hand pump, youâll want to pull the lever back and forth to âpump airâ. The same applies with the foot pump, only you are using your feet. You will blow up the balloon until itâs getting hard to inflate them.
Tie balloon
Now that you are done pumping air in the balloon, youâll want to make sure you tie the balloon properly so that it doesnât fly everywhere.
Other ways of blowing up the balloon
Water
Using water to inflate the balloons is especially popular with children. You donât fill the balloons all the way and you simply tie it up. It can be a very fun activity to do with kids.
Baking soda & vinegar
This method can be a fun way to inflate the balloons because when you mix the two together, youâll see a reaction. Here, the reaction will inflate the balloon. Youâll want to put no more than 4 teaspoons of baking soda in the balloon and remember to pinch the neck while itâs inflating.
Dry Ice
Dry ice is used in a lot of things. It can also be used in inflating balloons. For this, youâll want a very small piece of dry ice and warm water in a narrow flask. The reason that you want to use it is so that you can fit the flask on the balloonâs neck to release the liquids. Remember to hold on to the neck so that the air doesnât escape and watch the balloon grow.
Final Words
There you have it, 3 proven plus creative ways to inflate a balloon. Now go have some fun and blow some up!