Four ways with balloon pinatas

Cute cupcake pinatas, as well as Alan the alien, Barbara the babushka and Pete the penguin.

Getting started:

1. Blow up balloon.
2. Tear sheets of newspaper into little pieces (approx the size of a credit card) and glue (use either wallpaper glue or watered down PVA) on to the balloon.
3. The more layers you do, the harder the pinata will be to break. You need at least four layers - a couple more is better for older kids. Let the paper dry between every two layers.
4. We alternated between white and yellow pages so we knew how many layers we'd done.
5. Use plain white paper for your final layer.
6. Use a craft knife to cut a square opening out of the bottom of the pinata. Only cut three sides, leaving one as a hinge. Make a hole the size of a pencil on the top of the pinata. This is how you will hang it.

Cutey cupcake
While doing the papier mache layers, add a large ball of paper to the wide end of the balloon for the cherry

• Fold firm cardboard (we painted ours in Resene Superhero) to make the cupcake case. Place balloon inside. Use a hot glue gun or blobs of PVA to secure.
• Fill the pinata with lollies and seal.
• Glue red crepe paper onto the 'cherry'.
• Cut white crepe paper into 10cm squares.
• Screw up roughly and glue all over the balloon for the frosting.
• Cut colourful circles of paper and glue over the frosting.

Alan the Alien

• Once the papier mache is dry, paint the balloon (we used Resene Top Secret).
• Cut shapes from coloured card to make eyes, ears, mouth and any other features you'd like your alien to have.
• Fold card in a concertina format to create legs and antennae. Add shoes.
• Cut an approximately 4cm wide piece of crepe paper, fold and snip three-quarters of the way up, every centimetre.
• Wrap around the top of the legs and bottom of the antennae, then glue in place.
• Fill with lollies and seal hole with a circle of card in a matching colour.

Barbara the babushka

• While doing the papier mache layers, bear in mind the final shape you want for your babushka. Do extra layers for the 'head' as necessary.
• Cut 4cm strips of pink, yellow and red crepe paper (in same way as for Alan the alien) and glue, starting from the bottom.
• Cut a circle of card for the face and semi-circles for the hair. Add lips and eyes, and other decorations such as a flower and heart if you wish.
• Add lollies and seal.

Pete the penguin

• While doing the papier mache, cut pieces of oasis to make the beak and wings. Use strips of glue-soaked newspaper to attach these before adding the final layer of paper.
• Draw the outline of the penguin's tummy from the beak to the feet.
• Cut strips of white crepe paper approximately 4cm wide. Snip three-quarters of the way through, at 1cm intervals.
• Starting at the base,glue on to the outline of the tummy.
• Cover beak with yellow crepe paper and glue in place.
• Cover the remainder of the penguin in black crepe paper, cut in the same way as the white.
• Cut eyes from white card and eyeballs from black.
• Cut large feet (in one piece) and glue over hole, once lollies are inside.

To hang:

1. Make a loop by knotting the end of a 20cm length of strong cord.
2. Place a very large washer over the knot.
3. Thread a piece of wire down through a pencil-sized hole at the top of the pinata, through to the opening at the bottom. Bend the end of the wire into a hook. Put the knotted cord on the hook and pull it up and out of the top hole.
4. Secure the loop with a piece of clear pipe to stop it falling back into the pinata.
5. String it up, ready for action.

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