Take a Crack at It--DIY Pinata

When my oldest turned 1, my husband decided that we needed to start a tradition of having pinatas at the birthday party.  The best part was that my husband made it himself.  And I have like the tradition--Dad makes the pinata.  However, the last few have been more of a joint effort because he is much busier than he was 5 years ago.  So, here's a look back at a few of our pinatas (not all are great, but all were FUN!)

Here is a tutorial because ANYONE can make a pinata--and it's great to save $20!
All you need is a little paper mache, a balloon, newpaper strips, paint or other decorating supplies.  Let's get started:

To make your paper mache, I fill a medium size saucepan halfway with water.  Bring to boil.  In a separate container (I use my salad dressing pampered chef thing), mix a cup of water with 3 to 4 HEAPING big spoonfuls of flour.  Add to boiling water while whisking.  Bring back to a boil.  The mixture should be thick--kind of like gravy, only a little thicker.  Once this is done, you can put it in your fridge or freezer to cool it down a little faster.

While paper mache is cooling, blow up your balloon to desired size.  Then tear newspaper into strips about 1 1/2" wide.  Once your paper mache is cool enough to handle, spread some of it on to your balloon.  Don't be afraid to get a little dirty--USE YOUR HANDS! Then start adding your newspaper strips.  Rub more paper mache over the paper.  Coat the whole balloon with one layer.  Let dry (Colorado is much nicer than Washington to dry it quickly!) 

Once dry, add another layer.  Repeat this process about 4 times.  I usually keep the paper mache in the fridge in between layers.  Your balloon should start feeling pretty hard.

After about 4 layers, you can cut a small hole in the top and pop your balloon.  Then you can insert your candy through the hole.  Once you have everything in, cover the hole with more newspaper and paper mache.  Also, at this point, you will want to tie some string around the pinata so you will have something to hang it with.  We usually add at least 2 more layers to the whole pinata.

Now this is where the fun starts.  Start painting or covering with crepe paper--whatever you want.  I just use regular craft paint.  You can also use tempera paints, but make sure they aren't the washable kind (they don't really coat the newpaper.)

That's it.  Not too hard.  It does take a few days, but it is fun to see the transformation from balloon to pinata!