Make Your Own: Pinata

Pinatas are the best. There are a lot of ways to make them and everyone has a favorite; this is mine. All the pictures come from the making of the Minotaur pinata from our Percy Jackson party way back when the Mark of Athena came out. 

You will need:

                    1) Ballons              2) Ripped Up Tissue Paper     3) Watered Down Glue

1) We're using full size ballons but making mini, personal pinatas out of water ballons is fun too.

2) Newspaper will also work (if you really saturate it) but if you're going for asethics then tissue paper is where it's at.

3) Did you know that mod podge is just weak glue? Save yourself some money and just water down craft glue for this project.

4) Pipe cleaners or string is also helpful.

Let's Begin:

1) Using your paint brush, spread a layer of watery glue on your balloon. The latex will make the glue pool and slip off, but the important part is that some of it sticks.

2) Begin to layer the tissue paper on the balloon. Use more glue to hold it down. Cover the entire balloon and then cover it again.

Here's a ballon that's not quite covered with one layer yet.

 And after the second and third layers.

3) After the balloon is covered in tissue paper, it needs to dry. String a piece of yarn or a pipe cleaner through the tiny tail above the balloon knot and hang it up somewhere. I used the book shelves behind my desk. Leave it overnight or until the balloon is completely dry.

 4) When balloon is dry, hold the tail and gently pop the balloon. The deflated balloon should slip out of the opening at the top. Trim the opening to about the size of your fist, giving it smooth edges will be nice for when you're filling it. This is what the inside will look like. Isn't it pretty and shiny? Also, this is an extra pinata base that I cut open to make into a bowl. DO NOT cut your pinata open this much. Unless you want a bowl. In that case go for it.

5) Now comes the time to add the superficial elements. Decide what you want your pinata to be. If you just want a semi-round orb skip down to step 7. I needed a bull (it ended up kind of pig looking but whatever) so I crumpled up newsprint paper and taped it to the outside to give a rough shape for my snout, eyes and the heavy brow.

6) Then use more weak glue and tissue paper to cover up the newsprint

7) Fill the tiny opening with candy, confetti or whatever else is going inside. Use masking tape to completely cover the small hole, lay the strips of tape in all directions.

8) And finally, cover the tape with tissue paper and glue to give it a uniform appearance.

9) The horns on this sucker where just twisted up pieces of newsprint that I then covered in yellow tissue paper and jammed in the sides of the head. Likewise for the hook, which is just a piece of pipe cleaner poked through and taped into place.


10) Let everything dry very, very well and voila! You're very own pinata.

11) And the after. Poor guy got beat. Hard.