From balloons to big dreams

9/30/2026

Balloon art can take shape in many forms. Some people think of the small, classic creations seen at county fairs or made by clowns. There is nothing wrong with those creations, but some artists dare to think bigger. Travis Green is one of them.

Green, a graphic designer by trade and an artist at heart, discovered balloon art almost by accident. His wife’s aunt was having a birthday party, and Green decided to experiment with a pack of balloons.

“I started messing with them, and I’m an artist at heart, so I want to make something cool. So I was like googling how to do it, and I just learned that way of making balloon animals. And then I started an Instagram page to curate my pictures that I was making,” Green said.

That was about five years ago. After posting his creations on Instagram, Green began hearing from friends who wanted him to create balloon art for their birthday parties. Some even offered to pay him.

“I was like, ‘Whoa, I don’t want to be paid. I just do it for fun.’ And then the girl was like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna pay you,’ so she gave me like 50 bucks, and then from there it just took off,” Green said.

And, like an untied balloon, it took off.

Green eventually launched Squeak Balloon and Decor, taking on home parties, private events and corporate gatherings. His work has also taken him to conferences and events with the Balloon Guild.

“The Balloon Guild asked me to be a team lead in Florida. For their conference, they basically gave me 12 people and said, ‘You’re in charge of this room,’ so then I had to direct them on what we need to build and all that,” Green said.

Creating large-scale balloon art requires specialized equipment. Green happened to catch a break when another balloon business was closing at about the same time he was getting started. He was able to purchase some inflators at a low price.

Today, Green’s creations span genres, events and milestones. He has transformed entire rooms into jungle-themed experiences, including one he created for the Balloon Guild in Florida. He has also played a role in one memorable engagement.

“I got a call from my contact at Iowa State, and she wouldn’t tell me the name at first, and it ended up being Tyrese Haliburton. He wanted to get engaged to his fiancée on the court and wanted a long path from where you enter the stadium to the center of the court. It was like 100 foot path of rose petals, and so my wife took care of all that. And then on the center court, we did a bunch of flower bouquets and a big arch, and then our marquee letters that said: ‘Will You Marry Me.’ It was really cool,” Green said.

The project became even more memorable because Haliburton was filming a documentary with Netflix at the time. That meant Green eventually got to see his balloon creations on television.

Despite becoming a seasoned professional, Green still feels pressure when tackling major projects. Coordinating a team of artists while trying to bring his own vision to life can be challenging.

“I build it in my mind, and I have my vision, so I just want to do it myself. That’s the hard part. Like now, I’m to the point in my business that I need to give up some of those duties and give them to other people,” Green said.

Some of Green’s favorite moments, however, have nothing to do with the size or complexity of a project.

One came at a monster truck-themed birthday party. Green decorated the family’s living room while the children waited downstairs.

“I showed up, I decorated their living room, and the kids were downstairs. They were just like coming up and looking, peeking. When they came up, one of them, he was probably 3 years old, ran up and gave me a hug,” Green said. “He was so happy, and that was the coolest thing. I texted the client that was the best first look moment I’ve had with a client. I just like seeing that joy on their face,” Green said.

For Green, that joy is part of what makes balloon art so rewarding. And judging by his ambitions, there is no limit to what he might create with a package of balloons and a dedicated team.

His biggest vision involves the Albaugh Family Center.

“I just need a big room, and we would build a big immersive art event where I would build balloons all over, all over the ceiling, all over the walls, and people would you know buy tickets and walk through it, and there’d be live demonstrations of artists, not balloon artists, but just like painters, maybe clay outside. There’d be chalk art going into the building, so that’s like my vision for that, and I want to do that event and like donate it to the art center so we can raise money for them,” Green said. n

Cyote Williams was born and raised on the south side of Des Moines and writes about entertainment, sports and personalties across the Des Moines metro for CITYVIEW. Phone: 515-953-4822 x333.