New Year’s Eve FX

Kick–up New Year’s Eve with these at home special effects to make your party pop with excitement.

*GLITTER OR CONFETTI FILLED BALLOONS

Popping balloons at midnight is a great way to ring in the New Year.  Kick-up the fun factor by filling a few with shiny glitter or small confetti.

  • Clear balloons
  • Glitter or miniature confetti
  • Small funnel

Insert funnel into balloon opening and sprinkle in glitter or stuff confetti right inside of the un-inflated balloon.  Remove funnel and inflate with air or helium and tie at the stem.  Pop balloons at midnight and watch the beautiful glitter or confetti shimmer and cascade down around you.

*FLUTTER-FETTI

Inexpensive wands filled with confetti are readily available at you local party store and markets.  Give one or two to each guest to wave at midnight and enjoy the effect of a professional confetti cannon for very little money.

*BALLOON DROP

Capture the magic of a grand special event with a balloon drop at midnight! Using common household supplies you can give your guests a professional quality effect to ring in 2014. 

  • Netting
    (Any type of net material with holes small enough to keep balloons inside – Tulle works great!) 
  • Plastic cord
    (Heavy gauge fishing line, Weed Wacker line, plastic coated clothes line)
  • Rope
  • Rigging Supplies
    (Large push pins, nails or hooks)
  • Balloons
  • Balloon pump

Size

Measure area you want balloons to descend upon, (this will determine how much net to use and how to rig the drop).  Allow plenty of overhead clearance to sit or stand under the drop.  Use as many yards of netting as you want to drop to span.  Lay net flat onto the floor or a table and fold in half at the width.  This will create a semi tube shape.

Secure Ends

Close net at each end.  This can be done by using a desk stapler and staple edges together, tape ends closed with Duct tape, secure with zip-ties or simply run ribbon through the holes and tie to secure both edges.

Bottom Opening

You will now have a long tube open at the bottom edge.  Using the plastic cord, start at one end and loosely weave the line in and out of the holes, connecting the bottom edges together.  Be sure to keep the weave close enough to keep in balloons but DO NOT weave too tightly…this is the cord that you will pull at midnight and it must be loose enough to slide all the way out of the net to release the balloons. 

NOTE: Stop the cord approximately 2’ from the end.  This leaves a hole big enough to push balloons into the net.   

Fill

Fill balloons with air and insert into the net. 

Close Off

Once the net is filled to your desired capacity continue to weave the cord through all the way through the end of the opening.  Pull cord so approximately 1’ is hanging down from the net, (this will ensure once the balloons rest on the open edge it will not pull open).  On the opposite end leave 5-6’ of cord.  This is the line that will hang down from the drop for you to pull.  By weaving loosely, the cord will pull more easily through the net when you want the balloons to drop.

Hang

Depending on the placement you can use giant push pins, small nails or hooks to secure the top area of the net to the ceiling.  Attach well so the force of pulling the release line will not pull drop out of ceiling. Other options are to tie to an open beam or banister, or position drop between two upright poles.  With the pull line end hanging down, test the line by pulling it an inch or two to ensure it moves easily. Run the pull line to the side and stand-by for midnight!

balloons