EXHIBIT 10.22

                                 THIRD TERM NOTE

$275,000.00                                          Elk Grove Village, Illinois
                                                                    July 1, 1997
                                                           Loan No. 600804665-59

                  FOR  VALUE   RECEIVED,   the   undersigned,   CTI   Industries
Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Borrower"),  hereby promises to pay to
the order of First American Bank, an Illinois banking  corporation (the "Bank"),
the  principal  sum of Two Hundred  Seventy  Five  Thousand  and No/100  Dollars
($275,000.00)  on October 1, 2000 (or earlier as  hereinafter  provided),  or so
much thereof as may be advanced by the Bank and evidenced by this Note under the
Loan and Security  Agreement  dated August 19, 1996, as it has been amended from
time to time, between the Borrower and the Bank (the "Loan Agreement"), together
with interest to maturity (whether by lapse of time, acceleration, or otherwise)
on the  balance  of  principal  remaining  from time to time out  standing  at a
fluctuating  rate per annum equal to one  percent  (1%) per annum over the Prime
Rate announced from time to time by the Bank (which may not be the Bank's lowest
rate of  interest)  which shall be adjusted  daily when and as the Bank's  Prime
Rate  changes.  Interest  shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year and
actual days.

                  Unless  accelerated  as  hereinafter  provided or as otherwise
provided in the Loan Agreement,  the principal sum outstanding  shall be payable
in  installments of $7,738.89 of principal per month payable on the first day of
each calendar month commencing with the month of November, 1997 and on the first
day of each succeeding month until this Note is fully paid except that the final
payment  of  principal,  if not  sooner  paid,  shall be due on October 1, 2000.
Accrued interest shall be paid on the first day of the month following the month
in which the first  disbursement  evidenced  by this Note is made under the Loan
Agreement and  thereafter on the first day of each  succeeding  month until this
Note is fully paid,  except that the final  payment of  interest,  if not sooner
paid, shall be due on October 1, 2000. If an Event of Default (as defined in the
Loan Agreement) shall occur, the outstanding principal of and accrued and unpaid
interest on this Note shall  become  immediately  due and payable as provided in
the Loan Agreement without notice.

                  All payments on account of the indebtedness  evidenced by this
Note (other than required  prepayments which shall be applied as provided in the
Loan  Agreement and optional  prepayments  which shall be applied as provided in
this  Note)  shall be  applied  first to accrued  and  unpaid  interest  and the
remainder  to  principal.  Payments on this Note shall be made at the offices of
the Bank or at such other office as the legal holder of this Note may, from time
to time, designate in writing.


                  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the
undersigned  agrees to pay a late charge of five  percent  (5%) of the amount of
any monthly installment received more than 10 days after the installment is due.
Late charges shall be due and payable on the due date of the next installment of
principal or interest, together with the regular installment then due.

                  Upon and  after the  occurrence  of an Event of  Default,  the
undersigned  shall pay interest at the rate (the "Default Rate") of four percent
(4%) per annum  over the  Bank's  Prime  Rate  then in  effect,  which  shall be
adjusted daily when and as the Bank's Prime Rate changes.





                                 Third Term Note
                                    Page Two


                  Except as otherwise provided in the Loan Agreement,  this Note
may be prepaid in whole or in part without premium or penalty at any time at the
option of the  undersigned in accordance  with the Loan  Agreement.  Any partial
prepayment  made at the option of the  undersigned  shall be applied against the
principal  amount  outstanding  and  shall  not  postpone  the  due  date of any
subsequent  monthly  installment or change the amount of such installment unless
the Bank shall otherwise agree in writing.

                  This  Note  is  secured  by  the  Loan   Agreement  and  other
documents,  agreements,  and instruments executed by the Borrower.  This Note is
made and delivered  pursuant to the Loan Agreement and is subject to the further
terms and  conditions  thereof,  including the right of the holder to accelerate
payment of the  principal  of and accrued  and unpaid  interest on this Note and
other  remedies  upon the  occurrence  of an Event of Default,  all of which are
hereby incorporated and made a part of this Note by reference.

                  Any waiver of any payment due  hereunder or the  acceptance by
the Bank of partial payments hereunder shall not, at any other time, be taken to
be a  waiver  of the  terms  of this  Note or the Loan  Agreement  or any  other
agreement between the Borrower and the Bank.

                  The makers, sureties,  guarantors, and endorsers of this Note,
if any,  jointly and severally hereby waive notice of and consent to any and all
extensions  of this Note or any part  thereof  without  notice,  and each hereby
waives demand,  presentment for payment,  notice of nonpayment,  and protest and
any and all  notice of  whatever  kind or  nature  and the  exhaustion  of legal
remedies  herein,  or any  release  of  liability  or any other  indulgences  or
forbearances whatsoever,  without releasing or in any way affecting the personal
liability of any other party hereunder.

                  This Note  shall be the joint and  several  obligation  of all
makers,  sureties,  guarantors,  and  endorsers  and shall be binding upon them,
their heirs, personal representatives, and assigns.

                  In the event the holder of this Note shall  refer this Note to
an attorney for collection, the undersigned agrees to pay, in addition to unpaid
principal and interest,  all of the costs and expenses incurred in attempting or
effecting collection,  including reasonable attorneys' fees, whether or not suit
is instituted.


                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has executed this Note as
of the date first written above.

Attest:                                              CTI Industries Corporation


/s/ Howard W. Schwan                             BY:/s/ John H. Schwan
- --------------------                                --------------------
Howard W. Schwan                                        John H. Schwan
Vice President                                    Chief Executive Officer