Maya’s Birthday Pinata

Maya wanted a pinata for her birthday party.
Pinatas from the party store are pretty pricey.
Many of the directions for make-it-yourself pinatas are excessively elaborate, especially considering that the intent is to beat it to bits with a stick when you’re done.
We made this pinata – nice and simple and cheap – just some crepe paper and a paper bag.
And candy.  

Things You Need
1 large brown paper bag
1 package of crepe paper
pencil
scissors
stapler or safety pins
tape or glue
cord
wrapped candies and/or small toys
plastic ball bat
colored construction paper

1. Cut two packages of crepe paper into strips, Fig. a.

2. Cut a fringe along the bottom edge of each rolled strip, Fig. b. Open up the rolls. You will have long fringe strips.

3. Fill a large brown paper bag with candy and small toys.

4. Gather the bag at the opening, and staple or pin with safety pins, Fig. c. Bag should remain a little open.

5. Poke a hole into the top of both sides of the bag with a sharp pencil, Fig. c.

6. Pass a length of cord through each hole and tie, Fig. c.

7. Tie both cords together, Fig. d.

8. Hang the bag by this loop onto a door handle. You will now transform the bag into a funny bird.

9. To make the bird, tape or paste the fringed strips to the bag starting at the bottom. Keep taping on strips as you move up the bag. Let the fringed strips overlap a little bit.

10. Make the head of the bird a yellow paper circle with white-paper-circle eyes. Staple the head to the top of the bag.

11. The bird’s beak shape is shown in the illustration. Make a plain paper pattern of the beak.

12. Cut out the pattern. and use it to trace a beak on orange construction paper.

13. Cut out the beak and fold it along the dotted lines.

14. Paste the beak to the head.

15. Cut out funny wings and feet from colored construction paper and tape or paste them to the fringed bag.

16. Hang the pinata in a doorway or on a tree branch. (If you’re at Great Grandmother’s house, use the clothesline )

17. Each person is blindfolded and spun around. He then tries to break open the pinata with the bat. (if the kids are young, skip the blindfold part. Hitting the pinata is tough enough!)

Happy Birthday, Miss Maya Rose!

Tags: make a paper bag pinata, make a simple pinata, make it from scratch blog carnival

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