The holidays are approaching with gifts and posadas that excite children. If you like crafts, we will tell you how to make a Christmas piñata with a balloon to decorate to your liking. It’s easier than you think and your children will have a fun time learning.
The meaning of piñatas and their origin
What do you need to make the balloon piñata?
- A big balloon.
- Scissors and white glue or adhesive pencil.
- Newspaper.
- China or crepe paper to decorate. You can make a sphere of one color, several, a reindeer, a Santa Claus… The options are endless.
- Rope.
- Paste.
To make the paste:
Heat two cups of water in a pot while you dilute half a cup of flour in another cup of water at room temperature. Try to break up the lumps. Then, add the diluted flour to the hot water. Keep stirring over heat until the mixture thickens. Transfer it to a plastic container and let it cool.
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How to make a piñata from a balloon?
- Cut the newspaper into 10 x 10 centimeter squares.
- Inflate the balloon and tie its knot. The size of the balloon will be the size of the piñata.
- Carefully cover the balloon with paste and place the newspaper squares on top. The idea is to cover the entire balloon with three layers of paper. Also, to keep the piñata smooth, avoid lumps or the paper from folding.
- Leave a hole at the top of the balloon to put the candy in.
- Let dry overnight.
- The next day, put another three layers of newspaper with paste and let it dry one more night.
- Click the balloon and decorate!
For decoration:
- If you want to make a sphere, cut circles of tissue paper about 15 centimeters wide to cover the entire surface.
- Glue the paper circles from top to bottom.
- For the sphere rivet, cut a 6 centimeter wide rectangle from cardstock paper, leaving two tabs. Glue the tips, cover it with metallic paper and place it on the top of the piñata. Then glue the tabs on the inside to secure the piece.
- Finally, punch two holes in the top of the piñata, pass the rope through and tie. It’s ready to use!
Finally, remember that once you have learned the balloon technique, you can decorate your piñata in countless ways with all kinds of papers, colors, fringes, diamonds and cardboard figures to make faces, Christmas Eve flowers and stars.
Keep reading: International Piñata Fair 2023, the most traditional specimens from all of Mexico