Balloon art is a wonderful task once you get over the fear of popping balloons. By practicing it, we can also save money by decorating our own parties

The only required equipment to start ballooning is long balloons. Buy a good pump so that you can save your lungs. In the maket single and double direction pump are available. Use a double direction pump - one that will blow air while being pushed and pulled, making blowing up the balloons extremely quick. The first, and most critical in not popping balloons is the "tail." The tail of the balloon is the part that is left flat. When you begin to blow up a balloon, it will start filling closest to your mouth/pump and go outward. The tail is the other end. Each pattern will require a certain amount of tail length to be left over.

"Twisting" is as simple a term to use. This is where you twist the balloon. Take a blown up balloon (with a tail of any length) in both hands like you were putting your hands on the handle bars of a bicycle. Now twist one hand towards your body and the other away. A twist will form in the balloon, separating it into two parts. Usually one or two full rotations will give you a good joint for locking. Each twist is described by the length of the bubble you are creating. A "1 inch twist" is a twist 1 inch away from the end or previous twist. A "2 inch twist" is a twist made 2 inches from the previous twist or end, and so forth. Many time ballooners will simplify the "1 inch twist" to a "1 inch bubble", which means the exact same thing. A bubble is the area between 2 twists or an end and a twist.

You might find if you tried twisting the balloon and letting go, your twists will not hold. This is where the "lock" comes into play. A lock is where you have taken two twists, and twisted them together. Lets make an example:

If you make a 2 inch twist from the tied end, make another 2 inch twist from the first, and then another twist (this takes agility because you have to hold all the bubbles in your hands to prevent it from unwrapping), you will have 3 bubbles and the rest of the balloon. To lock the balloon, you will take your first twist and twist it with the third twist. What you have here is something that will resemble legs or ears, depending on the lengths you use for your twists.

Love is a universal term. We all speak the language of love. In fact, many special days has been dedicated to shower love. So show him/her that mean the most to you how much he/she mean to you in a special way.

Fresh flowers and live plants always add a nice touch to any room, and spring is the perfect time to bring some of the outdoors inside. Try these creative ideas for displaying flowers and plants throughout the house.
Tin Can Planters and Vases

Recycle tin cans by using them as pots and vases. Place a potted plant inside the tin can top, pot and all, or re-pot the plant into the tin. If re-potting, add a layer of small rocks in the bottom allow for drainage. To display fresh-cut flowers, place a narrow glass jar inside the tin, fill it with water and then place a few flower stems in the jar.

Wineglass Vase

Make a creative statement by displaying a single blooming stem in a patterned wineglass. Fill the glass with glass pebbles and then insert one dramatic bloom. For flowers with smaller stems, use a raffia ribbon, bear grass or other ornamental grasses to tie the flowers together so they stand in the center. Position one of these creative vases at each place setting for dinner party guests.

Demitasse Cup Vase

Enhancing a table setting by placing a single stem of a Gerbera Daisy in Italian espresso or demitasse cups. Use gold or silver markers to write the name of the dinner party guest on the cup.

Toothbrush Holder Vase

Enclosed toothbrush holders are perfect for arranging small flower displays. Add water to the cup half of the holder, replace the top, and slip flower stems through the toothbrush holes.

Crate and Carry-All Planters

Old toolboxes, milk bottle carriers and other interesting carry-alls are suitable containers for small potted plants. Mix a variety of plants or plant colors in each partition of the container for a dazzling springtime display.

Old Jar, Jug and Bottle Vases

Old jars, jugs and bottles make very interesting vases, even if they're rusty.

Old Shoe Planter

Fill an old shoe with dirt and add a small plant to serve as a decoration on a table or simply as a conversation piece. To protect the shoe, wrap the plant in some floral or aluminum foil, or pot the plant in small container before placing it inside the shoe.

Indoor Bulbs

Grow springtime bulb flowers, such as paper white narcissus, inside. These bulbs are easy to force into bloom and do not need to be planted in soil. Place the bulbs on a thin layer of small rocks or pebbles in a low bowl such as a casserole dish. Position a few extra rocks around the bulbs to keep them in place, and fill the container with water just up to the rock line. Keep the water up to the rock line, adding more water as needed, and the bulbs will bloom within a few weeks. To keep the tall blooms upright, tie the stems together or plant the bulbs in a few rocks, at the bottom of a tall cylinder vase or spaghetti canister. The cylinder will keep the blooms upright.

A simple single-flower arrangement is not difficult to make, and the classic dome shape of this round bouquet complements most wedding gowns. Be sure to stick to hardier flowers like roses, which are easier to arrange and can endure a little manhandling. To make a bridal bouquet about 8 inches in diameter, just follow the instructions below. This bouquet takes between 30 and 60 minutes to construct, and about 30 to 60 stems.

What You'll Need

• 30 to 60 stems of a hardy flower like the rose (20 to 40 for each bridesmaid bouquet)

• Bucket

• Paper towels

• Ribbon (in a complementary color), 1 to 2 inches wide

• Rubber bands or green waxed floral tape

• Stem cutter or very sharp knife

• Stem stripper

• Straight pins or pearl-tipped corsage pins

Step 1: Preparing the Flowers

Use your hands or a stem stripper to remove excess foliage and thorns, and pull off damaged or unattractive outer petals.

• Fill a sink or bucket with water, and holding the stems underwater use the stem cutter or knife to cut the stems at an angle about 2 inches from the bottom.

• Allow the flowers to drink for a few seconds with the stem ends underwater, then place the stems in a bucket filled halfway with cool water until you are ready to use them.

• Knot Note: If you're working with roses and the heads aren't open yet, you can force the blooms open by placing the stems in a bucket of hot water; but only do this for a couple of minutes just before you are going to use the roses, or you might kill them otherwise.

• Keep the stems long while you work with them and trim them to a shorter length when you've finished constructing the bouquet.

Step 2: Assembling the Flowers

• Take one stem at a time with one hand, and use your other hand to hold the flowers in place.

• Assemble four flowers at an even height in a square shape -- these will be at the center of the dome.

• Arrange the other flowers one by one around the center flowers to create a dome shape.

• Knot Note: To better see what the bouquet will look like in your hand, stand in front of a mirror as you construct the bouquet to observe how the shape is progressing.
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Step 3: Securing the Bouquet

• Use a rubber band or floral tape to bind the stems at the spot where they naturally join (about 3 to 4 inches below the flower heads).

• Repeat the binding toward the end of the stems, leaving about 2 inches of excess stem beneath the bind to trim later.

• Either place the stems in water and wrap them later or continue to Step 4.

Step 4: Finish the Handle

• Cut the stem ends so they are all the same length, about 7 to 8 inches long.

• Dry off the stems with a paper towel.

• Cut a length of ribbon about three times as long as the length of the stems.

• Tuck the end of the ribbon inside the top bind and start wrapping in a spiral down the length of the stem.

• When you reach the bottom, wrap in a spiral back up the stem.

• At the top, tuck the cut end of the ribbon underneath and secure with a couple of pins pushed through the ribbon and into the stems. If you'd like a bow, cut a separate length of ribbon and tie it just beneath the flower heads.

Step 5: Preserving the Bouquet

• Wrap the bouquet in tissue.

• Store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to leave for the ceremony.

For ultimate freshness, it's best to make the bouquet the morning of the wedding. Once the bouquet is constructed, keep the bare stems in water as long as you can and mist the heads well. Then when you're ready, wrap the stems.