From the A&P Show to Te Puke’s Treat Trail, Kieran Groves is becoming a recognisable face around town.

Kieran, 14, is known for his balloon sculpting and has his own business, Balloon O’Mania, that he started when he was 10.

Recently he was at the Epic Te Puke Treat Trail, Paengaroa Spring Fair, Fairhaven School gala and fireworks, Te Puke Gymsport’s open day; and in August at the Sirens and Services Koha Ice Cream Day in Te Puke War Memorial Hall.

Kieran Grove at the Te Puke Treat Trail in October. Photo / Stuart Whitaker

He’s also got bookings for Christmas in the Park next month and Te Puke A&P Show in February – and, with bookings for parties, he has something on almost every weekend of the summer ahead.

Kieran told Te Puke News he started making balloon sculptures at an early age.

“I got my first balloon bag from Kmart or something and didn’t really like the instructions, so I figured it out myself,” he said.

Completely different

That was all before Balloon O’Mania, which began with something completely different.

At Rotorua’s St Mary’s School, he started a small business selling bracelets. While he had permission, fellow students were found to be using their lunch money to buy the bracelets so he was asked to stop.

With a stock of bracelets still to sell, he started going to car boot sales.

“Then my grandma [Carol Riley] recommended I start selling balloons on the side, and after that the balloons slowly took over.”

Kiren said it is a much better business than selling bracelets and was something he already knew how to do. It was at one of the markets that someone asked Kieran if he did parties and that side of the business started from there.

Endless possibilities

He said one of the things he liked about balloon sculpting is that there were endless possibilities.

He previously used YouTube tutorials but said now he can work out how to make most things.

Kieran Grove making balloon sculptures at the Fairhaven School Gala and Fireworks event.

Most recently he’d managed to make a selection of Pokémon characters.

“They are very hard and I’m still learning and it takes a while – but the goal is to do them at markets and make them quite fast.”

Other things – an ant is a good example – he had worked out how to make from photographs of the real thing.

Kieran said he still sold his products at markets sometimes but events and parties were more lucrative.

Quality conscious

When it is busy, with people queueing up, he liked to make swords.

“It’s a classic, but there are heaps of different designs and they are pretty simple and fast to make.”

He isn’t sure whether he can expand the business as he said he isn’t sure about taking on a second balloon sculptor.

“I’d like to, but it gets complicated and I’m very quality conscious – I’d want them to make quality balloon [sculptures] up to my standard.”

Balloon O’Mania has its own website and Facebook page.