Sun Pinata

Materials:

homemade glue (flour and water)
saucepan
stove
whisk
newspaper
balloons
corrugated cardboard boxes
black poster board or construction paper
glitter
sharp knife
scissors
rope
white glue
"Chinito" rod (straight steel rod)
tissue paper in orange, yellow, pink
paintbrush
glue gun and hot glue
candy
confetti
tinsel

1. Select a theme for a party piñata.

2. Cook a glue mixture of one part flour and two parts water to form a thick paste. Constantly stir the mixture with a whisk while boiling. Boil and stir until it has the consistency of very thick mashed potatoes. Let cool.

3. Stack several sheets of newspaper; fold in half and using a knife cut through the fold. Fold the cut pieces in the center and cut through the fold again. These will be the strips for the papier-mache. The sheets will be the size of a quarter sheet of newspaper (figure A).

4. Blow up any size balloon.

5. Rub homemade glue onto one side of the newspaper strip with your hands. Paste the newspaper strips to the balloon until it is completely covered (figure B).

6. Wrap a rope around the papier-mache balloon and tie a loop at the top for hanging the piñata (figure C).

7. Cover the rope with newspaper strips.

8. Cut out cardboard triangles (figure D) and papier-mache them onto the balloon to form the rays of the sun (figure E). Let dry overnight.

9. Create several paper chinitos:

• Cut various colors of tissue paper into long narrow strips, fold in half and cut on the fold half way up (figure F).
• Open up the strips of tissue paper, fold over and glue together (figure G).
• The leftover flap is used to attach it to the piñata.
• Layer chinitos all around the sun form with homemade glue.
• Overlap each piece making sure the paper curls cover up the newspaper (figure H).
• Add yellow chiniots all around and use orange chinitos to outline the rays of the sun (figure I).

10. Cut a smile and sunglasses out of black poster board or construction paper. Make two pink tissue paper balls for the cheeks. Add a little glitter to the sunglasses. Glue the facial features to the piñata using hot glue (figure J).

11. Accordion fold yellow and orange tissue paper to create tassels. Cut on the folded side cut just to the top (figure K). Open the folds and roll the pieces at the top creating streamers.

12. Wrap tinsel around the top of the streamers and hot glue them to the tips of the rays (figure L). The tassels provide movement and life to the piñata.

13. With a knife cut an opening above and behind the glasses for filling the piñata with candy and confetti (figure M).

14. Attach tissue paper streamers to a stick to hit the piñata (figure N).

E-mail: par_t2gobyjo@yahoo.com

Website: Partiestogobyjo.com