A Family Home Evening Project With Papier-Mache

Use a latex balloon as a base for a round pinata.

A papier-mache pinata project is fun for the whole family because there is something in it for everyone. It is messy, it involves creative decorating, each person can add a little individual personality to it and where candy is involved, children will typically be happy. A papier-mache project takes about three days to complete, so plan ahead and start the project a few days before you intend to use the pinata.

Evening 1

Blow up a latex balloon to use as a base for your pinata. Tear strips of newspaper to use for the base layer. Put some flour in a bowl, add a small amount of water and stir until you have a thick paste. Dip the newspaper strips in the paste and pull them out of the bowl with one hand while squeezing the excess paste back into the bowl with the other hand. Place the strips in a single layer around the balloon, covering it completely. Repeat three more times to make four layers of newspaper covering the balloon. Try not to overlap the pieces too much in any single layer. Do not do more than four layers at a time, as this will increase the drying time. Let it dry thoroughly overnight.

Evening 2

Cut strips of tissue paper in the color you want your pinata to be. Make a paste, and layer strips on as before, but only do three layers of tissue paper strips. Cut more tissue paper strips of the same width but make them only 3 inches long. Fold them in half. Use scissors to fringe one half of the strip, but leave the other half uncut. Put paste on the uncut portion of each strip and paste to the pinata in rows for a festive look. Allow the project to dry thoroughly overnight.

Evening 3

Stick a needle through all layers of paper to pop the balloon. Cut a small flap in the top of the pinata and put candy into it. Tie a large knot in a long piece of thick string, and feed the other end of the string through a large needle. Put your hand with the needle into the candy flap and bring the needle through the pinata at the center of the top. Pull through until the knot catches. If this knot is insufficient to support the weight of the pinata. Put the needle back through the top of the pinata an inch away from where it came out, then bring it back up through the first hole. Wrap the string a few times in this way until you are certain you can suspend the pinata from this string. Close the candy flap and secure it with clear tape.

Completed Pinata

Suspend the pinata by the string from a hook. Outside use is better, but you may use it inside if you exercise caution. Take turns blindfolding each other and swinging a baseball bat or a yard stick at the pinata until it breaks and the candy comes out.

Resources

• Disney Family Fun: Best Papier-Mache Recipe