Make your own party-perfect
pinata
Story by Roxanne Molenar Photos by Jared Dort
A
time-honored tradition for many birthday parties is the pinata. You can buy one, and load it up with candy and treats ... or, you can be adventurous, and make one yourself. A word of warning: if you are a procrastinator, go to the store, and
buy a premade pinata. These things take time ... lots of time. In fact, it took me so much time that I have a whole new appreciation for people who make their living crafting pinatas.
But, the experience was good, and I learned a lot in the process. Here are a few things to note, before you start: 1. A pinata is something you hang from a tree and back away from, as small
children approach with a stick with the sole purpose of destroying said pinata. Therefore, remember ... this pinata doesn’t have to be perfect. You are making something that will be destroyed, so have fun with it. 2. Stop by the Yuma Sun and pick up a roll of newsprint from the circulation department. It costs around $1-2, depending on the size of the roll. The paper is a little easier to use than an actual newspaper - it’s a nice unmarked surface to decorate. 3. Be forewarned that this will take time ... lots and lots of time. It took
me four days to make this pinata, about eight hours of which were spent decorating. It’s just a time-consuming process. 4. Don’t limit yourself to just crepe paper for decorating. Feathers, glitter, flowers, foil and curling ribbon all can add fun decorative touches, too.
Here are the steps I followed: 1. Decide your shape. If you want to make Spongebob, use a big cereal
box. If you want to make a fish, use a large balloon. For this article, I made a fish.
2. Once you have your shape, tear newspaper into a bunch of strips about 1 inch wide, by about 6-8 inches long. 3. Make some paper mache paste (Mix one part flour with two parts water
in a large bowl until you have a consistency like thick glue. Add two teaspoons of salt to prevent mold, and mix until all the lumps are gone). 4. Blow up your balloon, and place it in a shallow bowl. 5. Spray or brush a light coating of vegetable oil on the balloon to prevent the balloon from adhering to the newspaper when you pop it. 6. Next, dip a strip of newspaper into your paste, squeeze off the extra
paste, and apply the strip to your balloon. Continue this process until the entire balloon is covered, overlapping pieces as you go. Leave a small hole at the top of the pinata, where you can remove the balloon and add the treats. 7. Now wait. It will take about 24 hours for the first layer to dry. Cover the paste and refrigerate, to prevent spoiling. 8. The next day, add a second layer to the balloon. Let dry 24 hours again,
Raising Yuma 9
and on day three, do one final layer of newsprint. And, allow it to dry for one more day. When it’s dry, pop the balloon. 9. On day four, you are ready to decorate. There are a variety of ways to
decorate your pinata. I decided to do a layer of paint first (which had to dry for several hours). Then, I cut the fin shapes out of a file folder, and attached them to the back and sides of the pinata with tape. I made a face out of balled-up tissue paper, which I dipped in glue and applied to the pinata’s face, and I used the same technique for the top and bottom of the fish. On the sides, I cut pieces of crepe paper, cut some slices in the bottom to look like fringe, and then I glued the top of the crepe paper to the pinata, leaving the bottom half to layer freely over the top of the layer below. 10. Make two holes in the
top of the pinata, and thread a strong piece of string or yarn through them, which can be used for hanging. 11. Fill the pinata with
wrapped candy, little toys or treats, and other goodies. And voila, you have a
pinata! Hang it from a tree, and let the kids go at it. ❤
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