How to Make a Pinata
Pinatas are fun celebratory toys that contain all kinds of goodies, making them perfect for any birthday party or other children’s celebration. They are generally made from a paper and other easily breakable products, as they are designed to shatter when struck, releasing all of their precious goodies to the revelers below. While they were historically crafted in shapes that resembled stars, they can be found in nearly any shape or size today. Despite their relatively complex look, a pinata can be easily made by just about anyone with a few hours of time on their hands.
How to Make a Pinata
Gather the Materials
In order to make a pinata, you only need a few common household items. First, make sure that you have at least two cups of flour, three cups of water, a balloon, some newspaper, paints or markers, crepe paper, and string. You should also stock up on candy or small toys to put inside of the pinata when you have finished making it.
To begin making your first pinata, you should start by inflating the balloon to its maximum size. A balloon is used because it is an easy item to build a shape out of, although if you have some impressive artistic ability you can sculpt any shape pinata you choose. Tie off the balloon once it has been inflated and set it aside for later use.
Create the Pinata Shell
You should now concentrate on making the shell of the pinata. Mix your flour and your water together to make a paste and set it aside. Next, you should cut the newspaper into many strips that are roughly one inch in thickness. Dip each strip into your paste mixture and place the strips on the balloon until it is totally covered, save for a small hole at the top of the pinata which you will later use to attach the string and add in any candy or gifts as pinata filling. Once the balloon is covered in newspaper, set it aside for several hours to dry (depending on your climate).
When the balloon has dried and the newspaper feels somewhat solid all the way around, take more of your newspaper strips and add another layer to the pinata. Repeat this process one or two more times in order to make sure that your pinata will remain nice and strong - so that it will not break after just one hit. After all of the layers have dried, you should pop the balloon and attempt to fish it out from inside of the newspaper.
Decorate the Pinata
Decorating the pinata is a fun project for the whole family, and can be done with a variety of paints, markers, and crepe paper to your family’s liking. Let everything dry once the decorations are complete.
On the day of the festivities, punch two small holes in the top of the pinata and thread the string through them in order to hang the pinata somewhere that is out of the way of nearby breakable objects. You can then fill the pinata with goodies via the hole in the top.