Party Ideas: Making a Pinata

Hi, I am Gretchen Siegchrist for parenting.about.com, and I am going to show you how to make a pinata.

This is a fun craft to make at home, and it will be a hit – literally – at parties. It is easy to make a pinata, but it does take a while, so you should start a few days to a week ahead of time.

For this project, you will need:
• 1 large balloon
• newspaper shredded into strips 1-2 inches long
• 2 parts water and 1 part flour to form the papier mâché glue
• crepe paper and glue for decorating the piñata
• string for hanging it.
• candy to fill it
Place your balloon in a bowl so that it stands up while you are papier mâching it. In another bowl, mix together the flour and the water. Dip the newspaper strips, one at a time into this mixture. Use your fingers or the side of the bowl to get most of the excess flour mixture off of the newspaper. Then, apply the strips to the balloon.

Cover the balloon with one layer of newspaper, leaving a hole on the end uncovered. Let the balloon dry for a few hours or overnight, and then add another layer of papier-mâché.

Repeat this process until you have covered the balloon with at least three to four layers of paper. The more layers you add, the sturdier your pinata will be.

When all of the papier mâché is dry, pop the balloon and remove it. Poke two holes into the top of the pinata on either side of the top hole.

Run a piece of string through these holes, and then tie the ends together to form a loop that can be used to hang the pinata.

Decorate the pinata by gluing strips of crepe paper around the structure. Do this in overlapping layers for a more textured look.

Take your leftover crepe paper and crumple it up into small pieces. We will add these to the center of the pinata with the candy. The crepe paper will prevent all of the candies from just sitting at the bottom of the pinata, and it will make it more exciting when the pinata bursts open. Stuff the excess crepe paper into the hole at the top, and your pinata is finished.

Now you can take it to a party, and let your kids have fun destroying all of your hard work.

Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at parenting.about.com.


Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services