DO IT YOURSELF: Put color into your fiesta with your own piñata
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- You can inject color and candy into your next fiesta with a do-it-yourself piñata.
According to WikiHow, you'll need a balloon, cardboard and cardstock, newspaper, flour, salt, water, some paint, colorful crepe paper, and a little imagination.
Plan out your piñata
You will need to imagine a shape that you can form around an inflated balloon. A more elaborate shape will require taping or gluing cardboard.
Make your paper mache paste and dipping strips
The mixture calls for two cups of flour, two cups of water, and a tablespoon of salt, mixed to a batter consistency in a bowl.
Prepare your newspaper strips
Cut many strips of newspaper before dipping them into the paper mache mixture.
Inflate your balloon
The balloon will serve as the shape-forming base of your piñata.
Dip the strips and cover the balloon
You will soak the strips of newspaper into the mixture bowl and apply them wet onto the balloon. Cover the balloon three to four times over, with each layer drying one at a time before applying the next.
Decorate the piñata
After allowing the paper mache to dry, coat the shape with a colorful paint.
Apply crepe paper
The paper will give the piñata its traditional look. Glue each strip into different colors.
Add any finishing touches
If your piñata is that of an animal, for example, you can add cardboard eyes or mouth.
Fill the piñata
This is the sweet part. With a hole at the knot portion of the balloon, cut the knot to deflate it. After that, fill the piñata with your favorite candies. If the hole is not big enough, cut it a little wider.
The fun part
Tie a string into the hole portion of the piñata and hanging from a tree or pole. Gather the children and have one of them take a whack at it!
