Celebrating Cinco de Mayo:
Making a Pinata

Here’s a fun craft idea to make to go with your Cinco de Mayo celebration. A piñata is a traditional part of children’s holiday celebrations in Mexico.

Supplies:

balloon, at least 16 inches across and spherical when blown up (alt. plastic ball same size)
Liquid laundry starch
Newspaper
2 wide, shallow kitchen bowls
cone-shaped coffee filters, size 0 or 00
Scissors
hole punch
sun-colored poster paint
Glitter
String


Directions:

Although a little messy to make, the pinata is a very fun and festive addition to a party. Depending on the weather, plan to include up to two days' drying time. In a hot, dry climate, the pinata can dry in three hours, the paint in another hour.

The directions here are for making a sun-shaped piñata. You may make any shape you wish by using your imagination.

Take approximately twelve single sheets of newspaper, tear them into 1 - to 1 ½ - inch - wide strips, then in half for shorter strips. Spread more newspaper sheets over work area to catch your drips and for easier clean up. Pour the laundry starch into one bowl, and place the blown-up balloon in the other bowl, keeping the balloon’s knotted neck down.

Drag a paper strip through the laundry starch, then through 2 fingers, held scissors style, to remove excess starch. Cover the balloon with the strips. Leave a small section around the knot uncovered; this is where the piñata stuffing will go in. Repeat for a second layer. Be gentle so you don't break the balloon. You may need to allow the first layer to dry before putting on the second layer if you have don’t remove enough of the excess starch.

The coffee filter cones make the sun-ray spikes. Turn them inside out so the seam is inside, then stuff them with crumpled newspaper. Place a spike on the sun. If it's too big and out of proportion to the sun, cut off a little at the bottom. To attach the spike to the sun, use small newspaper strips soaked in laundry starch. Lay a strip lengthwise along the sun and u the stuffed cone, smoothing the paper at the join. Use as many strips as needed to firmly attach spike. Repeat with other spikes, attaching them at regular intervals for a nice effect.

An alternative to the coffee filters is the disposable water cups that are shaped like cones. These are often found near water coolers in offices.

Let the sun dry, rotating it in the bowl. If you're drying it outside, don't forget to bring it in at night, since it will soften if dew hits it. The balloon will lose air as the piñata dries. If not, undo the knot and let the air out slowly or prick the balloon - but only after making sure the pinata is thoroughly dry and stiff. You may need to make sure that you have enough layers of newspapers overlapping so that the walls of the piñata are stiff enough so don’t remove the balloon until you are absolutely sure you are finished add layers.

Paint the piñata bright yellow and sprinkle glitter onto the wet paint. Let it dry. With the hole punch, make three holes well below the opening and attach string. Fill with stuffing. If you want, you can close the opening with more papier-mache.

Stuff the pinata with whatever toys, stickers, party favors or candy that is favored in your household.

I recommend that you burst the piñata open over a plastic sheet so that all the filling falls on the sheet rather than on the ground.

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