Cinco de Mayo: Making a Pinata

I've made many a pinata in my day.  I've had my students make quite a few as well for one reason or another.  This year I have an accelerated group of students, and they are going to write an example how to for a younger group of kiddos (long story), and so...in order to write a how to, we decided to 'do' a how to project.  Enter...lessons in making a pinata part #324,356.  I let the gals choose the design...a bee.  Works for me. 

 I blew up a balloon, and we attached the stinger.  If you were making an animal (we made a bear one year-school mascot, and a tooth for a Dentist graduation....we added for tubes for the roots of the tube, and a nose and legs for the bear).  I just used sturdy poster board to make these parts, and tape them on with masking tape.  Eventually the paper mache layers will harden them up enough to hold their shape. 

 The students broke down a bunch of newspaper. 

 Next, the dragged it through a mix of elmers glue and water (about 1 part glue to 10 parts water).  And they started building layers. 

 We built up about ten layers until it was hard enough to hold it's shape.  By about layer 5, I tied a string around the middle, and they paper mached over this, leaving the dangling end exposed.  I poked a pin in to pop the balloon after layer ten. 
We covered the tale and face with a layer of tissue and light layer of glue, and then they folded over strips of tissue, and cut down the middle (not all the way through) make a ruffle. 

They build layers of ruffles from the tale to the head. 

We added the eyes and wings later, and eventually candy will be added, but first, they owe me a paper, I'm sure their how to will be much better than mine, but that's pinata making 101....just one of 101 different ways to make a pinata!  I love customizing these for parties. 

Linking To:  Under $100