How to Make a Treasure Chest Pinata

A treasure chest pinata can be almost as much fun as the real thing.

A treasure chest pinata is a great addition to child's birthday party with pirate or adventure themes. It can also be a fun and unexpected element to add to adult celebrations of profitable life changes like new jobs. Even if there's no clear cause for celebration, creating a treasure chest pinata is a fun activity for parents and kids who want to take a break from the television and add an element of adventure and surprise to an ordinary day. There are two basic types of treasure chest pinata.

Things You'll Need

• Cake box
• Cardboard box
• Printer paper
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Masking tape
• Scotch tape
• Ribbon
• Rope
• Prizes

Instructions

Traditional Whack and Bash Pinata

1. Cut holes in each side of a cake box, and thread a ribbon through the holes to hang the pinata.

2. Fill the pinata with treasures. These treasures may be things like candy coins and plastic jewelry. Be creative and customize the prizes to the interests of you and your child. For adults, consider mixing things like plastic gift cards with the more traditional prizes.

3. Use making tape to close the box and to add support around the ribbon holes.

4. Decorate the box to make it look like a treasure chest. You may download and print pictures of wooden slats and a key hole (see resource 1). Alternative, you may cover the box in construction paper and glue on whatever additional accessories you deem fit.

Pull and Yank Pinata

1. Cut holes in either side of a sturdy cardboard box. Thread rope through these holes to hang the pinata.

2. Cut a trap door into the bottom of the box. Poke a small hole through the bottom and thread a ribbon through the hole. Secure the ribbon by knotting the end inside the box and applying some masking tape. Tape closed the trap door, but be sure that yanking the ribbon with force will allow the door to open.

3. Fill the box with prizes, and tape the box shut.

4. Decorate the box. If using print-outs for decoration, consider adhering them to poster board and then gluing the poster board to the box for a cleaner look.

5. Use scotch tape to adhere multiple ribbons to the trap door and bottom of the box. These ribbons should easily come off when pulled. Party-goers will pull at these ribbons until someone find the proper ribbon that releases the trap door and prizes inside.

References

• Fun Pinata Party Ideas; " How to Make a Treasure Chest Pinata"; 2011

Resources

• Wooden Planks
• Keyhole