Designing Moments People Remember

Colleen Mullins

“It really is bigger than just balloons. It’s about showing up for people and helping them celebrate the moments that matter most.”

Colleen Mullins has turned what began as a side-project into a full-fledged event-decor business – one built on creativity, grit, and her signature willingness to say “yes” first and figure it out later.

Her company, Tinsley Treasures, specializes in custom balloon installations and event décor for celebrations of all sizes, from corporate grand openings to bridal showers and milestone birthdays.

Tinsley Treasures didn’t start with balloons. After graduating college in 2016, Mullins began customizing gifts and décor while working a corporate job.

“I was really just throwing stuff at the wall,” she says. “I customized whatever friends and family wanted – T-shirts, wine glasses, coffee mugs, banners – really anything.”

Before long, she was “everyone’s go-to person when they needed something customized.”

Everything shifted in 2021 after she got married and discovered a love for the event-planning process. Still working as a side-hustle to her fulltime job as a nurse recruiter, she began offering welcome signs, seating charts, backdrops, and essentially any décor item clients needed.

“I would literally say yes to whatever anyone wanted and then figure it out later,” she says.

Her first balloon request came the same way: someone asked, she agreed, and afterward she realized she wanted to take the craft further.

“I stepped back and thought, ‘If people are going to ask me for balloons, I want to do better than this,’” says Mullins.

She took classes, researched techniques, sourced high-quality materials, and balloon artistry quickly became her signature.

“I decided I wanted to put my all into the balloons and make it the main thing I was doing,” she says.

The business entered a new chapter in 2021 after the birth of her son. Mullins chose not to return to her fulltime job from maternity leave.

“I decided to pursue Tinsley Treasures full-time,” she says. “That was honestly one of the best decisions I could have made. It grew very organically from there.”

Her days now vary wildly – something she embraces.

“When you own a business, no two days are the same, and that’s what I love about it. Some days I’m taking inquiry calls, and the next day I could be out doing a grand opening for a big-name company,” she says. “I love meeting people and being part of their major milestones.”

The meaning behind the work keeps her motivated.

“It really is bigger than just balloons,” says Mullins. “It’s about showing up for people and helping them celebrate the moments that matter most.”

Now mostly a one-woman operation, Mullins is looking ahead.

“I’m in this place of asking myself, ‘How can we grow even more,’” she says.

With her daughter starting school next year, she expects new time and new possibilities.

“Out of everything I’ve done, this just feels like what I’m supposed to be doing,” says Mullins.

2025 South Jersey’s Face of Party Fun