STRAWBERRY PINATA

The sun has got his hat on and he's coming out to play.... the season of BBQs & outdoor parties is finally here. So why not make a strawberry pinata to complement your outdoor festivities. Great fun for all ages! Here's one I made for my friend Strawberry Anarchy's Birthday bash last year... 

The cheapest I could find a strawberry pinata for online was £15 whereas this pinata cost basically nothing to make! Plus the best thing about making your own pinata is you can put anything you want inside it! Read on for instructions on how to make your own from home...

WHAT YOU NEED

• Balloon
• An old newspaper
• Crepe paper - green, red & white (I got mine in a reduced Christmas craft pack from The Works)
• Toilet roll tube
• Wire for hanging the pinata
• PVA glue & spreader
• Masking tape
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Goodies to put in your pinata

METHOD

STEP 1

Mix some PVA glue with water (about half and half) to make a thin paste. Rip an old newspaper into strips then paste them onto a balloon. Keep doing this until the balloon is completely covered but leave a small gap at the top of the balloon, big enough to fit your hand into. I would advise doing a couple of layers around the balloon - you don't want your pinata to break too easily! 

Leave balloon at least 24 hours to dry out, I left mine for 48 hours just to be sure. When you are sure it is completely dried out then use a pin to pop the balloon. If you feel that your balloon is not strong enough then now is the time to repeat step 1 again!

STEP 2

Take a roll of red crepe paper then cut slats into about an inch apart. Using the PVA glue apply the crepe paper in layers starting from the bottom. Have each layer overlapping as well so that none of the newspaper shows through.

STEP 3

When your red crepe paper layer is drying make some seeds by ripping off small amounts of white crepe paper and scrunching them into balls. Then stick them on your strawberry using the PVA glue.

STEP 4

Now for the fun part... filling your pinata full of goodies! You can use sweeties or toys or even both. Just remember not to fill it with anything too heavy or dangerous if it falls on your head! I also bulked out the goodies by using the filling from party poppers and old paper scraps left over from making party decorations. You could also use glitter and sequins.

STEP 5

Now you need to make a frame for hanging your pinata. Using a hole punch I made four holes around the opening at the top and threaded some wire through. I then held this in place using masking tape.

STEP 6

All that's left now is to make your stalk! I made mine using green crepe paper and a toilet roll tube. Cut the toilet roll tube in half then secure it at the top of the strawberry with masking tape. Using PVA glue, cover it with the green crepe paper, also cover up the masking tape area around the top. I used some more green crepe paper to make leaves coming down the strawberry. Your strawberry pinata is now complete!

 

Blindfold everyone taking part or in this case the Birthday girl, give them something to bash the pinata with such as a wooden stick or a baseball bat, stand well back and let the fun begin!

You could also use this method to make other pinatas too providing you can get the balloon shape for it! I think that I'm going to attempt to make a pineapple pinata next time! I hope you have fun crafting your pinatas! Please send me photos of your results.