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Helium balloons are great for children’s birthday parties, among other things. Even adults find themselves trying to track down helium balloons for various events, like baby showers or parties. Unfortunately, the canisters that are used to store helium are not very good for the environment.

In addition to the environmental damage, the process of filling helium balloons is a rather expensive one. Thankfully, as it turns out, you can fill helium balloons without using helium at all to save money and help the environment!

Photo: Unsplash

To get started, grab some empty water bottles, a small funnel, baking soda, and distilled vinegar. Add a few teaspoons of distilled vinegar to the bottom of the water bottle and use the funnel to add a few teaspoons of baking soda to the balloon.

Photo: imgur

Take the lip of the balloon and position it on the neck of the bottle. Try your absolute best not to spill any baking soda into the bottle while you are at it! Once you hold up the balloon, the most amazing thing will start to happen. The balloon will start to inflate without the use of any helium.

If the balloon is not inflating fast enough for your liking, shake up the bottle and the reaction will take place more quickly.

Photo: Unsplash

As soon as the balloon is filled with air, take a moment to pinch it off of the bottle in question. Get some decorative ribbon to tie at the end but not before you’ve tied the perfect knot.

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