How to Make a Pinata

According to legend, the colorful papier mache shapes called piñatas actually came from China and were introduced to the West by Marco Polo. In Mexico it is believed that the 7 cones surrounding the piñata represent the capital sins and the children represent the good side of the world defeating the bad side when they use sticks to strike and break the piñata. Follow these simple instructions and you can easily make your own colorful piñata so that you, too, can engage in the fight of good against evil!

1. Decide on what you are going to make your piñata into. Ideas include making an animal, character, shape etc. See "tips" for more suggestions.
   
   
2. Inflate your balloon. This will form the body of your piñata, so inflate it to the size you would like your piñata to be. (Alternatively, use a box.) A round balloon is best. You can add additional shapes to make legs, arms, tails, snouts, hats etc, using cardboard, newspaper or construction paper. Tape these shapes on with masking tape or clear tape.
   
   
3. Protect your work area. Lay down newspapers. You will also cover your balloon with newspapers for protection against falls.
   
   
4. Make your paste. In a pot/pan mix 1 third flour with 2 thirds water. The paste should just begin to thicken. (You can also use starch.) Boil the mixture (keep stirring so it does not stick to walls) then add a pinch of salt. Once it gets to a putty form it's done.
   
   
5. Tear some newspaper into strips, 1 inch or 1 1/2 inches wide. Smear these strips with the flour glue to make papier-mâché.
   
   
6. Lay the strips down all over the balloon until it is completely covered in a thick layer of papier-mâché. You will need to complete this step 3 or 4 times until the piñata is hard and durable. Let one layer dry until most of it is consistently hard before adding the next layer. I use newspaper for the first layer and then for the second layer colored flyers. The third layer is newspaper again. By differentiating the layers I can tell where I have applied three solid layers.
   
   
7. Let the pinata dry until it is stiff and no longer wet or sticky when you touch.
   
   
8. If the balloon has not popped, pop it and make a small hole on top to add candy.
   
   
9. Make sure the hole on top is big enough to stuff the candy into.
   
   
10. Paint your piñata a single color to smooth out the paper and to create an even surface. It doesn't need to be especially well-painted, just enough to cover the paper. However, you might choose a color that matches the crepe paper you'll be adding on or to match the animal or character that you're turning your piñata into, as it'll probably show through.
    
    
11. Punch two small holes around the main hole. Tie a string or ribbon to the holes.
    
    
12. Glue colorful crepe paper onto the outside of the piñata to decorate it. If you want your piñata to look more traditional, cut out long, wide strips of crepe paper, glue them onto the piñata along one long edge, and cut fringe along the opposite edge. You could also add googly eyes or painted eyes, a nose, a mouth, etc. See "Tips" for more suggestions.
    
    
13. To put candy in your piñata put crumpled up crepe paper and the candy inside the top of the piñata. To cover the hole, glue down some crepe paper on top of the hole, or use masking tape.
    
    
14. Finished.
    
    

• You can use Poster board to shape your pinata. You can also use streamers.
• Some suggestions for a theme piñata:
  
  • decorate a fish with shiny scales cut out of Mylar or tin foil;
  • create a flower with petals made out of large pieces of crepe paper;
  • make a fat bunny or Easter egg for Easter and fill it with chocolate eggs;
  • make a big pink pig; or green turtle
  • other animals or character figures that you like.
• Don't limit your decorations to crepe paper! Feathers, glitter, and fake flowers all make festive decorations for a piñata.
• You can tape a string to the top of the piñata in order to hang it, but this is not very secure; if you want the piñata to stay up longer, punch two holes in the piñata and pass the string through the holes. For extra reinforcement, pass the string through a plastic lid from a coffee can or use a cardboard tube from an aluminum foil roll.
• You can also use wallpaper paste for a stronger piñata.
• Instead of cutting a flap open, you can leave a hole at the top of the balloon (i.e., don't cover it with papier-mâché) and fill the piñata through this hole.
• Create an apple-shaped piñata and fill it with boxes of raisins for a healthy treat.
• Fill the piñata with individually wrapped pieces of candy. Bulk candy may be cheaper, but keep in mind that the contents of the piñata will spill all over the floor and kids will eat them no matter where they have fallen. Buy cellophane and individually wrap bulk sweets if you choose this option.
• Use a punch balloon for a bigger pinata.

• Traditional piñatas are made with a clay pot reinforced with glued paper (nowadays old newspapers). 7 cones made of cardboard are added representing the 7 capital sins of Christian faith. This gives the piñata its traditional "satyr" look. This is decorated with stripes of colorful paper (you make cuts in the bottom half of each stripe to make it "fluffy" which gives a nice effect). A piñata prepared this way will break more easily. Yes, there is some danger of being hit or cut by the pieces of pottery once the piñata is broken, but frankly it is tiring and eventually boring for the children to break a paper or cardboard-only piñata. Children can be taught to be careful when breaking one of these traditionally made piñatas.

• Balloons
• A few newspapers
• Water & flour (to make the glue) or starch.
• Scissors
• Paint
• Crepe paper
• String (to hang the piñata)
• Candy (for filling)
• Wooden baton about 18 inches (to hit with) or a big stick or bat