You will need:
- Balloon
- Newspaper
- Flour & Water
- Bowl
- Scissors
- Cardboard (i.e. cereal box)
- Toilet Roll Tubes
- Crepe/Tissue Paper
- Strong Glue
- String
- Marker Pen
- Coloured Paints
- Sweets
- Foil Tube
Mix a small amount of flour with water to form a watery glue paste. Cut strips of newspaper ready to be applied to the balloon. Blow up a balloon, and begin by dipping a newspaper strip into the paste so that it is completely covered, and smooth over the surface of the balloon using the paper-mâché technique. Continue until the balloon is completely covered, making sure each strip is overlapped slightly. Hang the balloon up to dry overnight with a piece of string. Cover the balloon in another layer the next day, placing each strip in the opposite direction to the initial layer. Allow to dry again overnight.
To make the head, we used two halves of a jaffa cake box and paper-mâché’d them together, sticking on some ears too.
Cut small slits around one end of the four toilet roll tubes (legs), this makes them stay in place against the balloon easier.
Once the balloon has dried fully over night, position the legs evenly underneath and mark where they are with a marker pen.
I found it a lot easier to initially glue the legs into place using a hot glue gun to hold them securely. I then added more paper-mâché around the tops to smooth it out.
Next is the fun part! Pop the balloon using a pin or scissors, cut a hole big enough to fill with sweets and remove the balloon.
Cut some lengths of crepe or tissue paper (we used crepe paper as it’s a lot stronger than tissue), and cut some tassels along one side. Begin to attach the strips onto the body, using cello-tape to secure. We found it a lot easier for one person to hold the strips in place while the other sticks the cello-tape.
Continue to layer up the strips of paper in different colours. When you reach the top you will come to a big bald patch – cut one large oval of the next colour with tassels around the edge, and layer up different coloured ovals on top.
Add some zig-zag lines around the legs, or any other pattern you choose to jazz them up a bit! Make a tail using some thin card to form a cone shape, cover in crepe paper and decorate. Attach some tassel strips to the top of the tail.
Love it! Thanks for the tutorial!
Gemma x
Great tutorial! Pinatas are always a party favorite for both adults and children! ~Val
That is brilliant. Very clever, would never have thought of that. Linda
Brilliant tutorial. I dont usually get them for my daughter has she always feels upset at everyone bashing them to bits and then I end up having to try and put it back together. She has legs and head bits on a shelf in her bedroom which she has kept lol