How to tie knots in balloons without sacrificing your fingers

Here's how Lisa kept her digits intact during a marathon balloon-knotting session:

Our children’s elementary school puts on a BBQ Fun Day that uses 1,000 air balloons. I volunteered to blow up 200 balloons. I knew that my fingers would not be up to the task; therefore, I used a crochet hook to help. Soon, my fingers were sore. I took to the kitchen to find a useful tool to help, other than my fingers. My husband found a two-pronged fork, the prongs about 1 inch apart. Here’s how it works.

1. Place blown up balloon between knees.
2. Wrap the end around the fork.
3. Pull the end through the hole with a crochet hook.
4. Pull knotted balloon off the fork.

While this does take more time then using fingers, it allows for pain-free knotting.

Do you have any hack-worthy techniques for tying knots in balloons? Water balloon season is approaching, after all.

Comments

[Amy]

When our friends came back from their honeymoon, they returned to a small apartment filled with 1500 balloons, courtesy of my husband and I, and two friends. We didn't think to use the hack above, but we did rent an air compressor, which made the blowing up part a whole lot easier.

Check with party supply stores to see if one is available in your area.

[Shauna]

I just want to remind everyone that balloons (excluding the mylar type) are VERY dangerous for little ones and pets - when they pop, pieces of the balloon can be sucked into and trapped in the airway causing suffocation - even in children up to 4 and 5 years old. PLEASE be cautious!

[Galatae]

OK two things:

1. I always use the three finger method - wrap the balloon around three fingers, pull out the middle finger and push the end through to finish the knot. I worked as a hostess at a kid-friendly restaurant, and this was the easiest method of closing up a few dozen balloons daily.

2. Try these things if you have to do hundreds of them:
http://www.balloonplace.com/catalog/clips.html

[Danny White]

I saw a cool new way to tie water balloons on youtube. It's called Turbo Tie, they have a website, too, http://www.turbotie.com.

You just wrap the balloon end around this soft cube and you're done.