I have a few ideas for the shiny metallic-looking Mylar balloons that would otherwise go to a landfill:
Crochet
Cut them into one long continuous strip about 1/2 inch wide, and use them to crochet throw rugs, place mats, thermal cup & drink can holders, dog bed liners, potted plant coasters, bathtub mats, even window shades (these would probably hold in and/or reflect heat and light, too).
Placemats
Sandwiched between two pretty pieces of fabric and stitched together, you would have a place mat which keeps the plate warm a little longer! Cut a slit in the round upper part and you have a thermal dish taker-just fold over the end you slit, and tape it or tie it with ribbon.
Flowers
Cut the balloons into squares and use to make "tissue paper" flowers for a shiny bouquet reminder of the day. Hot glue-tack them onto a piece of mat and place in a picture frame with a photo of the recipient on their birthday or other occasion;(another reminder); or glue onto a cheap wooden picture frame to cover it and spray with clear polyurethane spray.
Donate
You could always find someone at a Senior Citizen center who would be glad to have the strips to crochet or knit with. A day care center, Headstart or Kindergarten class could use the uncut colorful part for art projects. Contact your local school's art teacher.
Fuse Together
You could use a seal-a-meal or other heat source to join together big squares-thermal quilt for games, etc.!
Thermal Shades
If they would stand up to laundering, they could be used in the lining of a quilt or sewn in between two blankets,the large squares could be joined and hung over a window with the shiny side facing out toward the sun and the printed side hidden behind your curtains. Instant thermal and blackout shades!
Great ideas! I've often wondered if you could use mylar in place of the metallic plastic they sell for ironing on to fabrics & for making metallic foil crafts with... That plastic-foil on a roll or in sheets can be QUITE costly!
I bet you could glue the backs of these balloons to cardstock & make an awesome hanging mobile! Usually, I'll use the silver Aluminum tape from the hardware store... I bet this might go nicely with mylar.
Mylar sheets will stick to a moist window & it makes an awesome insulation in the winter time. I bought huge mylar sheets at the dollar store in a 50% off after Christmas sale. The mylar was originally made to cover your front door for decoration at Christmas. I used it to keep the heat in or the sun out! Just hold it to your window & it it will usually stick by itself! If not, you can either use a washable children's glue or any kind of tape to hang the mylar.
I carefully slit them open giving me 2 pieces. I then put a potted plant in the middle, pull up around the cheap pot, and tie around with a ribbon. It's great for giving as a gift. Doesn't really matter which side you leave facing outward. Once it is tied up you don't really see whatever the greeting was. I do this for Mother's Day and Easter for giving Grandma a plant. She is frugal too so this idea appeals to her.
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Tip: Reusing Mylar Balloons (10/20/2009)
Mylar balloons are expensive; so don't throw them out. You can use them again. Here's what I do when a Mylar balloon gets tired.
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Tip: Reusing Mylar Balloons
Archived on 10/20/2009
Mylar balloons are expensive; so don't throw them out. You can use them again. Here's what I do when a Mylar balloon gets tired. I use a plastic drinking straw with one end trimmed into the shape of a fountain pen nib to help me let every bit of air escape. I insert it into the balloon through the base and up through the rubber gasket. Then I press out as much air as possible, remove the straw, and fold and store the balloon. My local grocery store will refill used balloons with helium for a quarter. Sometimes I inflate them like ordinary balloons, and other times I use them just partially filled as packing material when mailing boxes. They easily fill empty space in a box. No more Styrofoam peanuts!
By Kathy
Feedback:
RE: Reusing Mylar Balloons
Another use for these beauties is to use them as wrapping paper! Be careful to slice the bottom of the balloon and insert gift with tissue wrapped around it. It makes a beautiful one of a kind wrapping, and you were able to use it two times. Plus it's free wrapping. (02/05/2005)
Refilling the Mylar balloons does not always work! If you are refilling it, is probably because it leaked in the first place.
Been there done that! (05/20/2005)
By Syd
RE: Reusing Mylar Balloons
Here are the proper instructions for reusing a balloon.
Use a medium width drinking straw and insert it into the self sealing valve of the balloon. Once you get to the end of the sealing valve you will here a puff of air escape. Then slowly push the air out of the balloon. Before refilling a foil helium balloon you should remove all the helium from the balloon. The old helium inside will interfere with float times of the balloon.
One important note is to not use something like a pen or anything else hard to remove the helium. That risks stretching the balloons self sealing valve and therefore damaging the self sealing valve. You should be able to get many uses out of a mylar balloon if you following the proper instructions.
(11/29/2008)
