Helium is all over the universe—it's the second-most abundant element. But on Earth, it's much less common. It can't be artificially produced and must be extracted from natural gas wells. ... Over time, helium forms from the decaying uranium and is trapped beneath Earth's surface, but it takes its sweet time.

How do you make helium?

There is no chemical way of manufacturing helium, and the supplies we have originated in the very slow radioactive alpha decay that occurs in rocks. It costs around 10,000 times more to extract helium from air than it does from rocks and natural gas reserves. Helium is the second-lightest element in the Universe.

Can you make helium at home?

You need a gas that is lighter than air to float the balloon, which is why we use helium. Helium is the result of the very long, very slow decay of radioactive atoms like uranium. ... Currently, this natural process is the only method with which helium is produced on Earth. In other words: You cannot make your own helium!