In Mexico and Central America, it used to be the custom to wrap clay pots in crepe paper and fill them with sweets or fruit on special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas. The children were then blindfolded and given a stick to try and hit the piñata with – until it broke and revealed its contents. This Latin American tradition is still continued today, but clay pots are no longer covered, but cardboard figures are used. Whether llama, cloud or football: there are no limits to creativity. In the following we will show you step by step how to make a piñata yourself.
Following the Latin American tradition, we have chosen a piñata in the shape of a donkey. For this you need – in addition to the desired filling (such as sweets and/or toys) – the following handicraft utensils:
By the way: You can of course also make a classic piñata out of papier-mâché – but you need significantly more time, work steps and material for this. You’ll find more about it here.
Step 1: Draw the outline of the donkey on the cardboard with a pencil and then cut out the animal with scissors. Now place the finished template on the second box, trace the outlines again and cut out the template.
Step 2: From the remaining cardboard, use scissors to cut out a strip that is at least ten centimeters wide and covers the entire circumference of the donkey piñata.
Step 3: Take the double-sided tape and stick the two sides of the piñata together with the cardboard strip so that a hollow body is created. Remember to leave a small opening at the top so you can fill the piñata later.
Step 4: When the body is complete, apply double-sided tape to the entire exterior surface. Then cut the crepe paper rolls (the colors are freely selectable) into strips of the same size, each between three and six centimeters wide.
Step 5: Now cut the fringes into the cut crepe paper strips at regular intervals. Keep in mind: the smaller the distance, the more fringed the end result will be. If you now roll out the strips, you have finished fringe ribbons.
Step 6: Remove the protective film from the tape and attach the colorful fringed strips – from the bottom up – to the cardboard box. And from all sides equally, so that a uniform overall picture is created.
Step 7: If you like, you can now add eyes to the donkey’s head. You will also need to attach a sturdy string to the piñata so that it can be hung up later. After the body has been filled with content, glue it shut at the end.
And another tip: If you don’t want to make the piñata yourself, you can also order ready-made figures for children and adults online. In addition to the classic unicorn, these models are particularly popular:
Traditionally, a piñata is filled with candy, but depending on the event, you can hide other treats or toys inside the figure. Small liquor bottles (made of plastic) or condoms are ideal for a bachelor party, for example, while small drugstore products (e.g. powder, nipple ointment, oil) are suitable for a baby shower – or even money. Basically, of course, confetti also belongs in a well-filled pinata. On the other hand, you should avoid dangerous, heavy and pointed objects, glass and porcelain or fresh food such as fruit and vegetables.
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