How to make a traditional star piñata

Piñatas are found at almost every Mexican celebration. Piñatas were traditionally in the shape of a six-pointed star and were filled with fruit, candy, and small toys. At fiestas, the pinatas are hung in the air and children are blindfolded and take turns swinging at the pinatas with a stick. Eventually, the pinata is hit hard enough and it breaks releasing the candy and toys that it contains.

I’m so excited to show you how to make your own piñata!

Material:

Glue

Scissors

Newspaper/Paper

One balloon

Tissue paper

Glue gun

Tape

Foil paper

Water

Plastic container

Ok. Ready, GO!

First, you are going to cut the newspaper into squares or rectangles.

Blow up a large balloon and tie the end. You’ll need something to put the balloon while you glue the squares of newspaper to the balloon (I used a cup).

Then, put the glue into the plastic bowl and add some water. Wet the paper in the glue/water mixture and carefully place the strips on the balloon until it is covered, leaving a hole at the top.

Set aside and let the balloon dry. Repeat with two or three more layers, making sure you leave the hole at the top and let it dry each time you repeat it. 

When dry, pop and remove the balloon.

 Make cones with construction paper and cover them with tissue paper.

Then, cover the balloon with foil paper. Once you are done, carefully tape the cones to the piñata.

Cut squares of tissue paper. They should be around 5” by 5” (You’ll need close to 200 pieces). When you have all the squares ready, pick one up by the center of the paper and draw it through the forefinger and thumb of your other hand, held in a circle. This will create the ruffles as you see them in the picture.

Start gluing the ruffles around each cone, gluing the center (where you grabbed the paper to make the ruffle) to the base of the cone.

Hang stripes of tissue paper from each cone’s tip

 Punch two small holes in the top near the opening and tie a large piece of cord through the two holes.  Fill your pinata (through the hole you left at the top) with candy and/or toys.

You’re done! Have fun J

You can be very creative with this project. You can design your piñata into any shape  you want (animal, flower, cartoons, etc,). You just need some imagination.

Hope you enjoy making your piñata as much I did.