Learn. How to Make a Pinata From a Balloon.

This is my August Craft Challenge entry. I sent out all the purple tissue paper I had so I used yellow for mine. You also can't really see the details in this picture so I thought I'd give a step by step.

My former resident of Mexico and Spanish teacher self loves pinatas. I've made them out of jarras (clay pots), cardboard, and balloons. Using a balloon is the best choice for a quick and easy pinata.

Supplies:

• balloon
• newspaper
• papier mache paste (recipe below)
• tissue paper
• household glue

Papier Mache Paste Recipe

Mix 1/2 cup of flour with 2 cups cold water. Bring 2 more cups of water to a boil. Add your flour mixture. Stir until boiling. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, and let cool. Some recipes out there add sugar after boiling. I've tried both ways and it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. If I have it nearby, I add it. If not, I don't.

While your paste is cooling, blow up a balloon and tear 2 inch wide strips of newspaper. As you can see, my daughter did a lot of the work. She was so excited to help and it was a good project for her to work on now that big brother is back in school.

What you do next is the fun and messy part. Spread the paste on one side of the paper strips and start to cover the balloon.

You'll want to make one solid layer and then let it dry overnight. Do another layer the next day. Another layer the next. Did I mention that making a pinata takes a little bit of planning? You'll want at least 3-4 days of lead time. To be honest, I did two layers in one day. That worked out okay but it wasn't ideal.

When you are making your layers, be sure to leave an opening at one end of the balloon. I chose the tapered end. You'll need this opening for the candy!

When your layers are completed and dry, pop the balloon and pull it out. Now you're ready to decorate!

For this one, I wanted it to look like a big pom pom or flower. I took the tissue paper squares, pinched them in the middle, dipped them in a bit of Elmer's glue and stuck them to the pinata.

I added pom poms (the white bits) around it, too. In this photo you can also see the card I made to go with the pinata. I made this for Deb's 30th birthday party. The eyelet is on the card and I strung it onto the rope.

I filled it with candy (gum & starburst). I added the gold coins to the inside as well. When the kids broke open the pinata, if they found a gold coin they got to choose a full-size candy bar. I thought it was a nice touch.

I used the craft sticks to hold the rope. I stuck them in the hold and tied the rope to the sticks. They didn't last very long. After one or two people, the sticks broke and we had to replace with a heavier duty dowel.

Everyone really enjoyed the pinata and it was a blast to make!

Have you finished your August Craft Challenge yet? You have until Wed. Aug 26th. If you'd like to participate in next month's challenge, you can purchase your packet in my etsy shop.