Introduction
Long
associated with Mexico, pinatas actually originated in Italy, where clay
pots were filled with treats and slung high above the ground to be
broken with sticks. Adopted by the Spanish, the custom arrived in Mexico
with the explorers, who had since begun to add color and decoration.
When tissue paper became widely available during the 20th century, the
pinata evolved again, incorporating more colors and designs than ever
before.
Papier-mache is a popular craft technique that involves covering a form -- like a balloon or a bowl -- with strips of newspaper drenched in a simple, often homemade, paste; the paper and paste bond as they dry, forming a hard shell around the form. Try using wheat-paste powder, available at hardware and art-supply stores, instead of ordinary flour -- the resulting paste will be less prone to cracking.
Papier-mache is a popular craft technique that involves covering a form -- like a balloon or a bowl -- with strips of newspaper drenched in a simple, often homemade, paste; the paper and paste bond as they dry, forming a hard shell around the form. Try using wheat-paste powder, available at hardware and art-supply stores, instead of ordinary flour -- the resulting paste will be less prone to cracking.
Materials
- 14-inch balloon
- Cloth tape
- Scissors
- Newspaper, cut into 1-by-6-inch strips
- Wheat-paste powder
- Strong white paper (20-pound copy paper works well)
- Spray mount
- Compass
- Craft glue
- Tissue paper in several colors
- Rotary cutter (optional)
- Self-healing mat (optional)
- Utility knife
- Large needle or piece of wire
- Tissue-paper streamers
- Strong cord
- Candy, treats, and small prizes, for stuffing
Steps
Step 1
Inflate the balloon, and coax it into a round shape by wrapping it with cloth tape. Set it aside.Step 2
Make
paste: In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup wheat-paste powder with 4 1/2 cups
water. Dip newspaper strips one at a time into the paste, and place them
on the balloon, overlapping the strips slightly, until the balloon is
completely covered. Let dry overnight. Repeat this process twice more
for a total of three layers.Step 3
Our
pinata design calls for six cones; to make them, cut six sheets of
strong white paper into 7-inch squares. In a well-ventilated area,
spray-mount different colors of tissue paper onto the squares. Place the
point of a compass at the corner of one of the squares, and mark a 6
1/2-inch arc. Trim the paper around the edge of the arc. At 1/2-inch
intervals, cut 1/2-inch-deep notches into the rounded edge. Roll the
paper into a cone, and glue or tape the straight edges together where
they meet. Cut 1/2 inch off the tip of the cone to create an opening for
streamers. Fold the notches outward, and using craft glue, adhere the
cone to the pinata. Repeat with the remaining cones, gluing the first
two cones at opposite ends and spacing the remaining cones evenly around
the sphere's center perimeter.
Step 4
For
the fringe decoration, begin by cutting tissue paper into narrow strips
about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. A rotary cutter and a
self-healing mat will enable you to cut through several layers of tissue
at one time. Fold each strip lengthwise, creating a 1 1/2-inch strip,
and cut the strip down the center from the open side, up to within 1/2
inch of the folded edge. Each strip should yield four "fringes."
Starting at the bottom of the pinata, glue the strips, fringed edge up,
in a tight circle. Glue a second row above the first one (the circle
will be slightly larger), tucking the glued portions of the second row
behind the fringe of the first. Work your way up the pinata, gluing rows
of fringe in circles of increasing size. Glue a couple of rounds of
tissue paper over the fringe at the top and bottom of the pinata.
Step 5
To
complete the pinata, use a utility knife to cut a small trap door near
the top. Make two vertical cuts 3 inches apart, and connect them with
one horizontal cut at the top to create a flap; fold the flap back.
Using a piece of wire or large needle with a length of strong cord
attached, punch two holes at the top of the pinata, and pull the cord
through the holes. Knot the cord above the pinata, leaving enough to use
for hanging.
Step 6
For
a final touch, twist 10 streamers together for each cone; apply a dab
of craft glue to the twisted end, and tuck it into the small hole at the
end of the cone. Repeat this for each of the cones. Fill the pinata
with a selection of candy, treats, or prizes; push the flap back into
place, and hang your pinata.
by : http://www.marthastewart.com/271560/making-a-pinata
