Balloon Bouquet Gift Idea for Grads with Gift Cards

I don’t want to alarm you, but school is almost out. How did this school year go SO fast?! Whether you have a graduate or just want to celebrate the completion of another year, this fun Balloon Bouquet gift idea for grads is perfect!

With colorful balloons and a variety of gift cards, what grad wouldn’t love to see this on their doorstep!

I’m partnering with Balloon Time to bring you a fun (and easy – because you know that’s what I’m all about) Balloon Bouquet idea. This works for just about any graduation level from kinder to college. And it’s super fun to look at.

Balloons are fun, people!

This is a sponsored post and part of an ongoing partnership with Balloon Time Helium Tanks. All opinions are mine! Originally posted May 15, 2017. Updated to include better instructions.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I also participate in affiliate programs for other retailers.

Balloon bouquets are a great way to celebrate at home

Graduations are always so awesome. They are a celebratory ending and a beginning at the same time. They’re such a happy occasion. Even this year…

I wanted to create a simple graduation idea that would be bright and colorful and use balloons as decoration and gift idea.

Balloons are totally underrated in my opinion. They come in so many colors and patterns now. It just takes a few minutes, but you can find some amazing balloons online!

They’re inexpensive and versatile and put a smile on anyone’s face.

Make a summer bucket list gift with gift cards

I took a minute to think about a fun gift idea for grads that would also be useful. Summer is often a time to try new things and the perfect time to create a bucket list to work off of.

I think this balloon bouquet gift idea would be absolutely perfect for someone graduating from high school. That’s the ultimate summer in my opinion. You’re done with high school, probably driving, and don’t even know the stress of college yet. It’s the perfect time to try out some new things or at the very least, go out to dinner with friends once in a while.

This bucket list gift idea is a fun way to give someone a variety of gift cards that they can use all summer long to experience life to the fullest.

This would be a great group gift idea for different family members to go in on. Give yourself a little bit of time to plan ahead and have your family, who may be scattered all over the country, send a gift card and note for you to attach to the balloons.

Even if they can’t physically be there to celebrate with you, your graduate will know they are loved.

The gift cards can be for things like restaurants, movies, escape rooms, retail stores, amusement parks and so much more! If your graduate is old enough, you could even choose places out of the area to encourage a mini road trip (when appropriate).

How to make a gift card balloon bouquet

Since gift cards are a bit heavy, you need to use a lot of balloons in order for the bouquet to float. I picked out a mix of mylar and latex balloons to create this whimsical bunch.

Supplies

Patterned paper (not card stock)
A variety of gift cards (the amounts can be small!)
Removable Glue Dots
Double stick tape (or other adhesive – you could probably get away with the Glue Dots)
Curling ribbon
Striped twine

Tools

Paper cutter (this one is my fave!)
Envelope punch
Scissors
Hole puncher
Balloon Time helium tank (these are sold at Target or Party City – but not available online. You can buy one on Amazon but they are double the price as you can find in-store).

Balloons

Here are the balloons I used:

Bargain Balloons in one of my favorite places to shop for unique balloons. Use their search to find the zebra balloons and browse the site to see what other fun balloons you can find.

Their prices are really great and they always arrive fast!

I think the best balloon bouquets are bright and have a variety of fun balloons. I love when you can mix and match patterns and add whimsical touches.

But if you like order, you can easily make it color coordinated or following a specific theme. You can also add in number balloons and other graduation emblems like diplomas and caps and gowns. I like to go with an unconventional look.

That’s what’s so great about this gift idea! It’s totally customizable to your gift recipient and space where this will be presented.

How to make your gift card envelopes

This envelope punch is the best thing ever invented. It’s so great to have on hand to make homemade envelopes whenever you need to. You can use whatever paper you want.

This tool has a section to punch the corners and then indentations to make scoring the paper super simple. It’s genius.

On your envelope punch, find the finished size that you want to create. Cut your paper to that size.

Use the punch to score the paper for easy folding and punch the corners for a finished look. (You guys! I’m OBSESSED with this punch. I use it for everything!)

Fold at the score marks to prep your paper.

Using one Glue Dot, attach the gift card to the center of the paper envelope. Use double-sided tape to close the envelope around the card.

Use a hole puncher and punch a hole in the top left or right corner. Whichever corner you pick, just make sure you are consistent for the other envelopes.

There should be room for the hole without hitting the gift card.

Repeat this process for each gift cards.

How to put together the balloon bouquet

Using your Balloon Time helium tank, blow up the balloons.

I couldn’t get a photo of this part but I’ll try to explain it as best as I can:

Putting one balloon on a string means that the balloons naturally bounce off each other become wide. This may not make sense…Stay with me…

In this case, I wanted the balloons to be more like a column. To do that, I put two balloons on one string.

For example, I started with the zebra, because, duh – it’s awesome. I tied it on to a piece of ribbon. Then I blew up the green moon balloon. I tied the moon to the same ribbon connected to the zebra but about a foot below where the zebra was tied.

Next, I blew up the flower balloon and tied it to its own ribbon. I blew up the silver star and tied that on the flower ribbon. I did that with my remaining 4 balloons.

When I was done, I gathered those 4 ribbons and tied a small knot in the ribbon, so the “base” would help keep them in a column shape.

This is all very rough as balloons have a mind of their own and are going to spin… I took a small piece of the striped twine and wrapped it around the ribbon several times to conceal the knot and add a little more color. Once I got the bouquet together, I grabbed a piece of the twine and started tieing on the gift cards. For the first one, I tied it off on the bottom.

Once I strung an envelope on, I knotted the twine to hold it in place. Then I tied that whole string on to the base ribbons, above the knot, so they wouldn’t slide down. I repeated the process, layering the gift cards so you could see the patterned papers.

And to anchor it all, I tied it to this adorable ceramic trophy (similar)! I think that’s the perfect way to say, “YOU DID IT!”

I popped in some greenery which I think added the perfect finishing touch. I love these “Be Wild. Have fun.” balloons for a graduation, don’t you? Summers should be carefree and unplanned (ish). And it’s a good reminder for life in general.

You can make this bouquet with balloons and drop it off on the porch of whoever you want to celebrate. Wouldn’t that be such a fun surprise if you can’t celebrate with them in person.
What fun gift cards would you put in the balloon bouquet bucket list gift idea for grads?

Having a Balloon Time helium tank at home makes decorating and gift-giving SO easy. As long as you have some fun balloons on hand, you can create a fun bouquet at a moment’s notice.

I’ll also be taking my tank along with me to a local restaurant to decorate a bridal shower in a few weeks. All white balloons and ribbon mean the decorations will be simple and sweet.

More balloon decoration ideas

Photo Balloons: Make these easy photo balloons to decorate your next party. Print out a photo of the guest of honor and add it to a balloon.
Mini Balloon Arch and Sign: Want to leave someone a special message? Make a simple balloon arch and message! It’s a fun way to add extra color and put a smile on someone’s face.
Balloon Cake Topper: Celebrating with a cake? Add a little Balloon Cake Topper! It’s a fun celebratory addition to the cake, especially if you don’t have candles.