How to Make a Hot Air Balloon Pinata

Whether you're making a piñata for a birthday party or to sell, it's a chance to get creative and make something beautiful. A long-standing tradition in Latin countries, create your next piñata at home. Fashion a hot air balloon and fill it with treats that everyone will enjoy.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Flour
• One Large Balloon
• A Pin
• Newspaper
• Strips of colored tissue paper
• Empty Salt box (cylinder shape)
• Candy
• 3 to 4 days

Instructions

1. Place newspaper on the table where you will be working. Blow up one balloon and set aside.

2. Make Paper Mache Mixture. Mix one part flour with 1 ½ parts water until you get a consistency like that of thick glue. Add more water or flour if necessary to obtain this thickness.

3. Cut 1 ½ inch wide strips of colored tissue paper. The length should be no smaller than 8 inches long but can be longer.

4. Dip strips in Paper Mache mixture coating it completely. Apply it to the balloon one by one vertically being careful not to cover the bottom of the balloon. Make sure you overlap each one just a bit so that the balloon is fully covered. Switch colors every 4 to 5 strips that you put on the balloon. This will make for a very colorful piñata.

5. You will need to put more than one layer on so after the first layer place the bottom of the balloon in a cup standing up and let dry overnight. The next day repeat step four until second layer is completed. Set aside to dry overnight. If a third layer is desired repeat step four again and let set overnight.

6. At this point you can take a pin and pop the balloon inside. Take your salt box and cut it in half. Using the bottom portion, take glue and construction paper and cover the outside of it. This will be the basket that you will attach to the balloon.

7. Now attach the basket to the balloon: Take strips of tissue paper and dip the ends of them into the Paper Mache mixture. Stick one end on the balloon and the other end on the basket. Attach at least four and possibly six.

8. 

   Finally after it dries completely fill piñata with candy and tape a piece of paper to the bottom of the piñata so the candy won’t fall out. Get a stick and you are now ready for the kids to whack the piñata.