How to Make a Chile Pepper Pinata

Are you planning a Cinco de Mayo party? How about a backyard summer barbecue? A chili pepper pinata will add the perfect touch to your festivities, especially if there are children invited. This chili pepper pinata is very easy to make and if you are running out of time, get the kids' help completing this addition to your party decor. They will enjoy making it as well as the main attraction of breaking it.

Things You'll Need

• 2 standard-sized poster boards Red tissue paper Green tissue paper Masking tape Heavy cardboard Scissors Pencil Compass Craft glue Ruler Nail Fishing line

Instructions

1. Draw a 22-inch half circle on each piece of poster board. Cut out the half circles.

2. Roll one poster board half circle into a cone. Overlap and tighten the cone until it is the size you want. Tape the seam with masking tape to hold.

3. Tape and roll the other poster board half circle around the first to give the pinata more firmness.

4. Set the open end of the chili pepper pinata cone on top of the heavy cardboard. Trace around the circle with a marker.

5. Measure approximately two inches outside the drawn circle and cut the cardboard out. Make snips in the edge, to the drawn inner circle, half an inch apart. Bend these snips to one side of the circle to create a cap for the chili pepper pinata.

6. Poke two holes in the center of the circle about half an inch apart using a nail. Thread fishing line through the holes and knot to make a hanger.

7. Cut a piece of heavy cardboard two inches tall by four inches wide. Bend the four inch length into four equal one inch folds. Fold the cardboard into a box with four sides. Tape the two ends together using the masking tape.

8. Place the folded box on top of the chili pepper cap, for the stem, over the poked holes. Pull the fishing line hanger out one open end of the stem. Tape the other end securely to the cap.

9. Cut a flap in the cardboard beside the stem. This is where you will fill the finished chili pepper pinata with candy.

10. Place the cardboard cap over the opening of the poster board cone. Tape the clipped edges of the cap securely to the cone.

11. Cover the cone with several layers of red tissue paper. Glue to secure.

12. Cut strips of tissue paper two inches wide. Cut a 1/4-inch fringe on one side of the strips to within a 1/4 inch on the opposite long side.

13. Apply glue to the uncut long edge of the strips and begin winding and overlapping around the Chile pepper pinata cone, starting at the bottom point. Continue gluing and winding to the top edge of the Chile pepper cone.

14. Cover the cap and stem of the chili pepper pinata with several layers of green tissue paper. Glue to secure.

15. Cut two-inch strips of green tissue paper and fringe the same as the red strips.

16. Wind and glue the green strips around the base of the stem, to the edge of the chili pepper cap and over and down the edge two inches.

17. Slit through the tissue paper on the cap where the flap was cut for filling the pinata. Fold the flap back, fill with candy and close the flap. Attach a rope to the fishing line to hang from a tree.

Tips & Warnings

• When covering the Chile pepper with layers of tissue paper, don't worry if it looks messy. The fringe will camouflage any flaws or wrinkles.