Installing a piñata at your party is a great way to provide both decoration and entertainment. No need to go out and buy a piñata for your party. With the easy steps below, you can make your own piata, and you'll find that making a piata can be as much fun as breaking it!
Step
Part 1 of 4: Start Making a Piñata
Step 1. Choose the shape of your piñata
Make any piñata shape you want! The easiest form is to make an oval ball based on a balloon shape, but you can make anything you want.
- To make a more complicated shape, glue the cardboard to your balloon shape.
- Traditional piñatas are made with a ceramic pot as the shaper, but these can be messy and dangerous. Stick with the shape of the paper product.
Step 2. Protect your work area
Making a piñata can be a bit messy, so make sure you work in enough space. Cover your work area with a layer of newspaper or disposable plastic paper. This will keep your tabletop clean, and make cleaning easier. Keep yourself clean by wearing an old t-shirt or apron as well as rubber gloves.
Step 3. Make paper mache glue
Mix 2 cups (473 g) of flour, 2 cups (473 ml) of water, and a tablespoon of salt in a bowl. Stir the solution until it thickens like a dough. Don't worry about lumps in the dough; Of course you want the dough to be smooth but usually there are still lumps of flour in it.
Step 4. Prepare a strip of paper mache
Tear the newspaper into long strips or strips about 2.5-5 cm wide and 15-20 cm long. A tear like this will create a nice, even layer on top of the balloon. You will need as many strips of newsprint as possible to cover the balloon in several layers.
Part 2 of 4: Forming the Base of the Piñata
Step 1. Blow up the balloon
The balloon will form the body of the piñata, so make sure it's nice and big. Round balloons are preferable as they will make more room for all the candy, you can also use a box if you prefer a square piñata. Add additional shapes to make legs, arms, tail, muzzle, hat, etc., using cardboard, newspaper and other paper. Glue this shape with paper tape or transparent tape.
Step 2. Apply paper mache glue to the strip
Dip the strip in the glue and brush the excess glue with your finger until the glue falls back into the container.
Step 3. Glue the strip of paper mache to the balloon
Lay the strips all over the surface of the balloon in a criss-cross pattern until the entire surface of the balloon is covered. Leave the balloon ties uncovered to make it easier to remove the balloon. Repeat this step 3 to 4 times, allowing one coat to dry before adding another coat.
Step 4. Let the piñata dry
Once you have finished layering the paper mache, allow the piñata to dry completely and harden.
Part 3 of 4: Decorating the Piñata
Step 1. Paint the piñata
Use one color to smooth the paper and create an even surface. No need to paint well, just cover the whole paper. Choose a color that matches the decor you're adding or the character or animal you're creating because the paint might show up.
Step 2. Glue the crepe paper on the piñata
This will give the piñata its traditional look. Cut or tear strips of crepe paper and glue them to the piñata. Leave the paper in strips, and collect like tassels, like balls and glue them together.
Step 3. Add the final touches
After you glue the crepe paper, and other details on the piñata. Colorful pancake garnishes and colored paper can be used as fringe tassels. If you're making animals, add wobbling eyes that make them cute.
Part 4 of 4: Filling the Piñata
Step 1. Cut out the holes for the candy
If the balloon has not been popped, please pop it and remove the balloon. Since you've left the balloon ties uncovered in the paper mache, you've got a small hole without having to cut any more.
Step 2. Make the hole bigger if needed
If the candy doesn't fit, cut the edges of the hole just enough to fit the candy in.
Step 3. Make two small holes with the main hole
Tie a string or ribbon through the two holes. This will be used when hanging the piñata.
Step 4. Add candy
Start putting in candies, ribbons or whatever you want. Remember that the filling will fall to the ground, so don't put anything that will break or be too small.
Step 5. Close the hole
Glue some crepe paper to the top of the hole, or use paper tape. The goal is to prevent the contents of the piñata from falling out before it is hit.
Step 6. Hang the piñata
Put the string or ribbon back on the string or ribbon you have attached and use it to hang the piñata where you want it.
Tips
- Use candy that won't melt before breaking the piñata.
- Use non-perishable candies.
- Use a thicker string if you are making a heavy piñata, this will make the piata stronger.
- Make a pinata, fill it with objects and play with friends. Now make the bat.
- You can also use cardboard if you don't have balloons. Make sure the cardboard is not too thick so that it cannot be torn.
- Use a cork or stone to cover your piñata, gluing cork or stone if necessary.
- Never use tape to make a piñata! Piñata will be unbreakable.
- You can easily make a heart-shaped piñata by tapering the edges and rolling the tape to glue the edges together (to make a stronger piñata use cardboard for the first layer).
- Use balloons for larger pinatas.
- In addition to cutting one part open, you can make a hole in the top of the balloon (don't cover it with papier-mâché) and fill the piñata through this hole.
- Fill the piñata with wrapped candy. Unwrapped candy may be cheaper, but remember the contents of the piñata will spill onto the floor and the kids will eat it wherever the candy falls. Buy parchment paper and wrap the candies individually if you buy unwrapped candies.
- Don't limit the piñata decoration to just crepe paper! Feathers, glitter and plastic flowers can also be used to make festive piñata decorations.
- As an alternative to using starch glue; use glue and water stir well, add a little water so that the glue is not too runny.
- Use nut-free candy, maybe someone is allergic to peanuts.
- You can attach a string to the top of the piñata, but this is not very strong; if you want the piñata to hang longer, make two holes in the piata and thread the string through both holes. For added strength, thread the string through the plastic lid of an old coffee can or use a cardboard tube from inside a roll of aluminum foil.
- Try making a themed piñata for your party. You can decorate the fish with shiny fins out of tin foil or make flowers with petals made of large crepe paper.
