Craftibilities: printable

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Oh my goodness!! I'm overwhelmed by all the love, comments, feedbacks and sweet emails. I've now shared the templates with over ~~3,000~~ 6,000 people!!!

Happy to share 0, 1, 2, 3, 6 & 8.

I love inspiring others and seeing all the wonderful creativity!!

Here is a list of my frequently asked questions:

Will this work on a regular printer?

Yes, it works on any printer.

Will this work on my computer?

Yes, it works on a Mac or PC. I have heard people have trouble with printing from an iPad or phone.

What size do they print?

You can print 3ft, 4ft, 5ft or larger. Adjust the percentage to get the size you want. The dimensions are shown above the preview on the print screen. Note that dimensions are of all the pages and not cut out. For example, I print 5ft but after cut out the numbers will stand about 4 1/2ft tall. I wouldn't recommend printing smaller than 3ft so you can fit the balloons. This video has the best printing instructions.

Is there a way skip printing the blank sheets with the template?

If you don't click on cut marks or labels the pages will be blank. They help to follow the layout of the template. You can reuse those blank pages and put them back in your printer for future use.

How do I get the templates?

Send me your email address on Craftibilities.com under contact me. I get to those messages first. You can also send me your email on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube. I'm check them as well.

Can I download from your website?

Unfortunately, no. I don't pay for a service to host PDF files, only photos. Since the number templates are PDF files I need to email them to share.

What numbers and letters do you have?

I have 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, & 8 and USA. My computer crashed before I made them all.

UPDATE: now available - 7 & K

Do I need Adobe?

Yes, but you only need the free version called Acrobat Reader. It's just a PDF viewer and can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website. Use the website instead of from the app store.

Where did you get your balloons?

I usually order my balloons from Amazon and have used several different companies. I really like Qualatex balloons (not an affiliate.) The quality is amazing. Here are links to my Amazon buys:

#2 balloon mosaic - pinks and gold theme

5" Pearl pink - https://amzn.to/3oefP6t 5" Pearl white balloons - https://amzn.to/2D7J9Ja 12" Metallic gold balloons - https://amzn.to/3dMVAba

#3 balloon mosaic - hot pink, zebra theme

Qualatex 7 piece - zebra birthday - https://amzn.to/3lrJIPm 11" Tropical assortment - https://amzn.to/2D9RgFh 5" Tropical assortment - https://amzn.to/3jqr5cY 5" Pearl white - https://amzn.to/2D7J9Ja 5" Pearl Onyx Black - https://amzn.to/3gEy1Bk 7" Chrome - https://amzn.to/2EFYGAq

#10 balloon mosaic - tropical theme

11" Tropical assortment - https://amzn.to/2D9RgFh 5" Tropical assortment - https://amzn.to/3jqr5cY

#16 balloon mosaic - black, white, & gold

5" Pearl white - https://amzn.to/2D7J9Ja 5" Pearl Onyx Black - https://amzn.to/3gEy1Bk 12" Metallic gold balloons - https://amzn.to/3dMVAba

#18 balloon mosaic - green & chrome

7" Chrome - https://amzn.to/2EFYGAq

Green balloons were purchased from Amazon but I wasn't happy with them.

What do I do if the balloon frame leans forward or won't stand?

The sides are 6" wide and stand pretty well indoors. You can fill the bottom tight with balloons to provide extra support. If you are using them outdoors I would recommend a stand.

How many balloons did you use?

#2 Gold, pink & white I used 16 - 12" balloons and 5" balloons to fill the rest.

USA letters I used 130 - 12" balloons and 5" balloons to fill the rest.

#16 Gold, black, and white I used 200 - 5" balloons and 40 - 12" gold balloons.

10K Milestone - I used 230 balloons.

100 - 7" Chrome balloons

100 - 12" balloons from the kit.

30 - 5" balloons from the kit.

I actually could've used more 5" balloons to fill in the smaller gaps.

I do not fill any of the balloons all the way up.

How far in advance can I assemble?

I would not assemble more than a day in advance since balloons start to shrink. It's normally not noticeable but you can definitely tell in a balloon number mosaic. Gaps start to form and balloons start to pull from the sides and other balloons. IF using glue dots, I would assemble the day of the event. They do not last long. Balloons will also become dull looking. Especially if using them outdoors and in the sun.

I highly recommend using HI-SHINE to keep them looking shiny. Worth the money. You just spent hours building and filling with balloons. This will make it stay looking amazing!

See my Mother's day heart with Hi-Shine.

Do you recommend glue dots or glue gun?

Hands down I highly recommend a low temperature glue gun. I purchased this one on Amazon. Balloons do not stay as long with glue dots.

What thickness is the foam board and where do you buy it?

5mm or 3/16th thickness. I found the cheapest foam boards are from Dollar Tree and they sell them online in a bulk box of 25 boards. Search foam boards. They come in black and white.

Even with shipping they are cheaper than Amazon, Michael's, or Office Max. They also come in both white and black.

What do I do if my printer doesn't print in draft or grayscale?

Unfortunately I'm unable to edit the PDF templates to make them a lighter gray or outline. If your printer doesn't have a mode to save ink, you can send the file to Office Max or Office Depot and they can print it for you. I've heard it's not expensive. Just tell them you need a poster print and the size you want.

How do I arrange the pages?

Look at the print preview window on the print screen to double check the layout. Usually the pages will be horizontal and 4 pages across the top. Some printers have pages vertical with 5 pages across the top.

Now for some inspiration!

Thank you to everyone that shared their amazing creations.

You may also like these blog posts:

10th Luau Themed Balloon Mosaic - Tropical colors

18th Birthday Balloon Mosaics - Green, White, & Chrome

2020 Graduation Balloon Mosaics

2nd Birthday Mosaic - Pink, Gold, & White

16th Birthday Balloons - Gold, Black, & White

Red, White, Blue USA letters

3rd Birthday Balloon Number - Hot pink & zebra theme

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I made these templates a while back hoping we would be able to have a party for 4th of July. Well, no party but I'm still decorating. I had so much fun making these 5ft tall letters. I have the free template, just email me.

Update:

Video Tutorial

I'll update with pictures of them filled with balloons. I was too excited to share so I only have pictures of the frames.

I'll probably make a video for these letters as well. Same process.

UDATE video:

Red, White, Blue USA letters

I have four other video tutorials on how to make the mosaic numbers.

18th Birthday Balloon Mosaics

2020 Graduation Balloon Mosaics

2nd Birthday Mosaic - Pink, Gold, & White

16th Birthday Balloons - Gold, Black, & White

Open PDF file in Adobe and print as a poster. Change to 500% under tile scale.

Print in grayscale and in draft mode to save ink.

UPDATE: To use less paper - don't click CUT MARKS or LABELS when printing.

All the pages had a small white border. I didn't worry about all the pages matching up, only the edges of the letters.

Start with the pages horizontal and go across the top 4 pages. Then start the next row below it.

I always tape the center first and work my way out. This way it's easier to match up all the lines.

Cut the letter out.

It takes 3 foam boards for the back or base of each letter.

For each letter you need about 7-8 pieces for the sides. Total you will need 6 - 20x30 foam boards.

Use a box cutter or exacto knife to cut from the foam board.

I'm using these from Amazon since you can just pop the end off and have a brand new blade.

Measure 6"-6 1/2" template and trace for each side piece. I used 6 1/2

Cut each board into 3 pieces for the sides.

For rounded edges on the letter U and S, lightly score lines 1" - 1 1/2" apart on a side piece.

Don't forget to use the excess board from the back or base of the letters to cut side pieces.

I put craft paper down since it gets a little messy attaching the sides with hot glue.

The U & S are rounded at the bottom and a little taller than the A.

I used the A to measure how much to cut off the bottom of the U and S. This worked out perfect to make the bottom flat to allow it to stand up. Double check it because I think my U still looks taller than the S.

I attach sides with hot glue but you can also use tape.

I ordered all my balloons from Amazon and the foam boards from Dollar Tree.

I'm a huge fan of Qualatex balloons but couldn't find everything I needed or get it delivered in time.

10"-12" 4th of July Balloons - Red, White, Blue, & Star Print

10" Mini Red Star Foil Balloons

5" Qualatex Ruby Red Balloons

5" Qualatex Pearl White Balloons

Ready to fill with balloons!

Balloon placement but not attached yet. I'm trying a low temp hot glue gun this time.

UPDATE:

The low temp glue gun is so much better. The balloons do not move. It does take a bit of time to wait for each one to dry and you have to watch out for glue strings. I don't think I'll use glue dots anymore.