How to make a simple Piñata

Yvana´s pinata

Piñata, taken from wikipedia. A piñata is a brightly-colored paper container filled with confectionary and/or toys. It is generally suspended on a rope from a tree branch or ceiling and is used during celebrations. A succession of blindfolded, stick-wielding children try to break the piñata in order to collect the sweets (traditionally sugarcane) and/or toys inside of it. It has been used for hundreds of years to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas and Easter.

Yvana, the little pinata princess

So, for the birthday of my three year old niece, I took a shot at building a small Piñata which the littles one could "break" by tugging on strings instead of running around with a stick beating on it.

It was an easy, fun project anyone can do...

A Papier-maché Pinata would have been wonderful , of course, but I don´t have enough space to place around with gooey stuff, so I went for the easier box variety. I took a small box and cut out the bottom. I reinforced the box by fixing an X out of carton inside:

The box, can you see the reinforcing X inside?

Then I made cones out of thicker packaging paper, I cut flaps on the base of the cones, to create a surface from which I could fix them to the side of the box:

The paper cone were super easy to make, just rolled paper

Next step I hung my box and started covering it with colored crepé paper, which I got real cheap at a local one-euro shop:



NOW, it is taking shape!


Finally I just let my fantasy take me away, and I decorated Yvana´s pinata with ribbons, small cut out butterflies, and colored paper:


WOW, a princess pinata

On the top of the box I cut a small hole through which I could pour CANDY, party favors, stickers and other small treasures
The bottom of the box was still open, so I built in a simple system with strings attached to all four corners of the bottom opening , which met in the middle forming of an X. That I covered with paper thick enoughto hold the weight of the candies but not soo sturdy that it wouldn´t break. The ends of the strings came out through a small hole in the center of this paper.
When the kids pulled at the string.......


MAGIC!!!! (and sugar too!)

The good thing about this variation was that the pinata was not destroyed and is now a part of Yvanas Room Decoration, which I think is a great idea.
She´ll have happy memories of of "cracking" her first pinata together with friends.