Choose a pre-made arch kit when one of our designed palettes fits your theme — it’s the fastest route, from $68 for 5 ft. Choose a custom arch when you need exact brand, school or invitation colours, an in-between length (priced by the foot), or built-in add-ons like custom numbers, letters, greenery or LED lights.
Quick takeaways
- Pre-made: designed palettes, photographed, fastest to choose.
- Custom: up to six colours, any length, built-in personalisation.
- Most parties are well served by pre-made; brands and schools love custom.
- Both use the same hand-graded premium latex.
What “pre-made” means at Party Box
Our pre-made arches are designed palettes — each one tested as a set, photographed and named, from Royal Gold to Wild Safari. You choose a theme and a size (5, 10, 20 or 40 ft), and we pack a kit with hand-graded premium latex counted and bagged by cluster, plus loop balloons, Magic Tape, a how-to-hang guide and spares. You see exactly what you’re getting in the lookbook.
Free planning toolNew to balloon arches? Our step-by-step balloon arch guide covers planning, building and hanging from start to finish.
What “custom” means
With the custom builder, you start from scratch: choose any length (priced by the foot), pick up to six colours, choose standard or Lux balloons, and add extras like greenery and florals, fairy and LED lights, custom numbers and letters, a personalised sign, a floor base and columns, themed props, or organic cloud styling. You can even book a 1:1 designer call to perfect the details.
Side-by-side comparison
| Pre-made kit | Custom arch | |
|---|---|---|
| Palette | Designed and photographed | Up to six colours you choose |
| Sizes | 5, 10, 20, 40 ft | Any length, priced per foot |
| Personalisation | Add-ons available | Numbers, letters, signs built in |
| Decision time | Minutes | Longer (or book a designer call) |
| Price | $68–$499 | Depends on length and options |
| Balloon quality | Hand-graded premium latex | Hand-graded premium latex |
Choose pre-made if…
- One of the palettes already matches your vibe.
- You want to decide quickly and order today.
- You love a photographed look and want to recreate it.
- You’re planning a birthday, shower or holiday at home.
Choose custom if…
- You need exact brand, team or school colours.
- Your space needs an unusual length, like 15 ft or 30 ft.
- You want a name, age or initials built into the arch.
- It’s a wedding or corporate event with a strict colour scheme.
- You want a freestanding arch with a floor base and columns.
The best of both
Many hosts start with a pre-made palette and personalise it with add-ons: a sign with the guest of honour’s name, a few balloons in an accent colour, greenery or LED lights. You get a designed base that’s guaranteed to photograph well, with your personal touch on top. Ideas in adding a sign to a balloon arch and adding flowers and greenery.
Real examples: which would we choose?
- A 1st birthday with a safari theme → pre-made Wild Safari; add a “ONE” sign.
- A bakery grand opening in teal and coral → custom, to match the logo exactly.
- A bridal shower with a blush invitation → pre-made Blush Dream.
- A school graduation in maroon and gold → custom with school colours and the class year.
- A 15 ft wedding backdrop between two pillars → custom length.
- A Christmas open house → pre-made Christmas Morning.
How to choose colours for custom
If you go custom, follow the stylist’s rule: one dominant colour, one or two supporting tones and at most one metallic. Test your choices against the main thing in the room — the cake, the invitation, the bride’s flowers or the brand logo. Our 3-colour palette guide and best balloon colour combinations help you land it.
