How to Make a Piñata:

1. Tear or cut rectangular strips of newspapers (approximately 5 x 3 inches in size).

 

2. Inflate a large, round balloon with air and secure the end with a knot.

 

3. Make your own simple paste to adhere the newspaper strips onto the balloon. To make your homemade paste, add one cup of flour to a bowl, and then slowly add a small amount of water at room-temperature while continually stirring the mixture with a whisk until you achieve a paste-like consistency.

 

4. Dip each strip of paper into the flour mixture; saturate the paper; gently wipe off any excess paste with your fingers; and stick the strip onto the balloon. Continue to cover the entire balloon with newspaper strips, except for the small area of the balloon where the knot is located. (See Step 7 for the reason why it is necessary to leave this small area uncovered). Allow your piñata to completely dry (i.e. wait at least several hours or overnight) before proceeding to Step 5.

 

5. Repeat step 4 several more times. Keep layering the balloon with newspaper strips until you have a thick outer shell. The more layers you accumulate, the sturdier your piñata will be. Again, allow your piñata to completely dry before proceeding to Step 6.

 

6. If you plan to make your piñata into a ball (e.g., soccer ball), leave the balloon as is; however, if you would like your piñata to represent an animal (e.g., horse), glue paper attachments to the balloon. For example, the balloon represents the body of the animal. Position the balloon so that the knot where the balloon is tied off represents the top of the animal’s body. Glue four tubes from empty paper towel rolls onto the bottom of the balloon to represent the animals’ limbs. Glue another empty paper towel roll onto the balloon to represent the horse’s tail. The neck requires another tube, which is glued onto the other end of the balloon. To make the head of the animal, use a piece of styrofoam shaped like a horse’s head, or use a cardboard cutout and glue the head onto the end of the tube that represents the neck. For the ears, you can glue tubes of empty toilet paper rolls onto the head, which are shorter than paper towel tubes; cut out and glue your own shapes using stiff cardboard-like construction paper; or roll up pieces of newspaper into cones. Note: use traditional, multi-purpose glue (e.g., Elmer’s Glue-All^®) to paste the attachments onto the balloon. For added strength, use masking tape to help secure the attachments to the balloon. Allow the glue to completely dry before proceeding to Step 7.

 

7. Pop and pull out the balloon from the small uncovered area you left at the top of the base of the structure, which represents the animal’s body. Into the hole, fill the cavity of the piñata with your choice of wrapped candy and/or small toys. So as not to allow all the candy to settle at the bottom of the piñata, first fill the cavity with some pieces of colorful crepe (a.k.a. crêpe) paper and confetti, and then add a handful of candy. Alternate with crepe paper, confetti, and candy until the cavity of the piñata is filled. (When the piñata is finally broken by the children at the outdoor get-together, the decorative crepe paper and confetti will give a more festive feel to your event as it flies through the air!).

 

8. Next, make a hook for the piñata so that it can be hung. Poke a small hole on either side of the open cavity. Thread a thick, sturdy piece of string through the holes. For added support, use a plastic lid from a container (i.e. a coffee can). Punch two holes on each end of the lid. Pass the string first through one of the small holes in the piñata. Next, pass the string through both holes of the plastic lid, insert the lid into the cavity of the piñata, and then pass the string through the other small hole made on the other end the piñata. Finally, tie the ends of the strings together into a knot to make a loop.

 

9. Paste a good amount of newspaper strips to patch the hole in the piñata and secure the loop. Allow the piñata to completely dry before proceeding to Step 10. If you’re pressed for time, and didn’t use the plastic lid mentioned in Step 8, another option to cover the opening of the piñata is to crumple up a bunch of colorful tissue paper and simply stuff the hole. However, this method will not give you as sturdy a piñata as would patching the hole with pasted newspaper strips, and allowing it to dry.

 

10. It’s time to decorate your piñata! Use multi-purpose glue to adhere colorful tissue paper onto the structure. Glue paper eyes, a nose, and a mouth if you are making your piñata into the form of an animal. For the tail, glue crepe paper streamers. Create a work of art! Use your choice of decorative accessories - glitter, markers, paint, silk flowers, cotton balls, feathers, colorful ribbons, shiny tin foil, rhinestones, etc. - to decorate your piñata. Let your imagination soar and be as creative as you would like! Allow your piñata to completely dry before suspending it in the air and letting the celebration begin.

Helpful Tip: Some children might get left without any candy, especially the younger ones, because they may not be as quick at snatching the treats off the ground as some of the older children. In this case, it would be wise to keep an extra bowl of candy with you. As you notice the candy disappearing off the ground, throw more candy into the air to ensure that each child in the crowd receives at least several pieces. J