Each year at our church’s harvest party, the kids break pinatas full of candy. This year we decided to make our own pinatas and decided to share the process and results with you. Maybe in the process you will learn how to make one for your next birthday party! Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures!

Materials:

• Several largish balloons
• plenty of old newspapers
• flour (self-rising or all purpose)
• water
• paint (optional)
• creative mind (optional)

Directions:

1. Going with the grain, tear the newspapers into strips about 2 inches wide. Don’t be extra careful with size. Just have fun making a mess.
2. Decide what shape you want to make, and use your imagination to visualize how you can make the shape with several balloons. If your creative juices aren’t flowing, just go with a pumpkin, ball, or some other round shape and use one big balloon.
3. Blow up the balloons and arrange them in the shape you imagined.
4. Make a paste of flour and water, a little thinner than pancake batter (maybe even a bit thinner). It’s pretty hard to mess up the paste.
5. Dip strips of newspaper, one at a time, in the paste and use 2 fingers (usually pointer and middle finger) to wipe off the excess paste. (Pretty much get as much off as you can without spending too much time on it.
6. Flatten the wet strips on the balloon in several layers.
7. Hang the pinata (or lay it flat and rotate after a while)  until it has hardened.
8. Repeat steps 5-7 until the pinata is almost as strong as you want.
9. When your pinata is almost as strong as you want, attach a string to hang it by. If possible have the string tied around the bottom of the pinata, too.
10. Repeat steps 5-7 for at least one more layer to cover up and strengthen the string.
11. Stab the top of the pinata with a knife, and make a hole to add your candy.
12. Removed the popped balloon and fill your pinata with candy.
13. Paint your pinata if desired.
14. Hang up your hard work and let the kids beat it to smithereens. 🙂