Star Piñata Tutorial

Okay. My star piñata tutorial is ready for anyone else who thinks they might want to make one! 

Trust me, making a star piñata is a ton of fun. I enjoyed it even more than the donkey piñata. I'm already trying to think of the next occasion for which I can make a piñata...hmmm...perhaps the Queen's Jubilee.

What you'll need to make your own star piñata:

My Scribbled Dimensions in Inches

• Lots of cardboard (the best kind is from used boxes...mine was from boxes in which our wine, nappies, and other items were delivered or bought)
• Lots of crepe paper (red, yellow, green, purple, pink...or colours of your choice)
• Lots of packaging tape
• Lots of candy or other small items to fill the piñata.
• Wire for hanging
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Exacto knife
• White Glue
• Paint Brush for brushing on glue

Here is how to make a star piñata:
(beware...there are lots of steps!)

1. Trace a circle for center of star.
2. Cut first circle out of flattened cardboard box. Use it to trace a second circle.
3. Cut second circle from flattened cardboard box. You should have two circles.

4. Reinforce any bends in cardboard by taping rectangular cardboard pieces perpendicular to bend.

5. Cut as many strips of cardboard you'll need to go around the circle. Make sure they are the same width and that they'll overlap by a few inches when wrapped around the circles.
6. Stick pieces of tape all around the circle. Make sure the sticky side is facing up. Make sure the reinforced bends are also facing up so that they will end up inside the piñata.
7. Curve strips by squeezing along the ridges.
8. This will cause the strips to match the edge of the circle more easily.

 9. Place strip along the top of the edge of the circle.
10. Pull pieces of tape up to secure edge.
11. Tape inside and outside of any overlap. Leave a gap for candy filling (See number 13).
12. Flip the circle over and tape along the entire edge. Make sure this is very secure so it can handle the weight of the candy or other filler.

13. Make sure there is a gap in the side so that you can fill the piñata later.
14. Prepare the other circle with tape the same way you did the first.
15. Set first circle on the second and pull tap up to secure.
16. Flip it over and tape the entire edge. Divide and mark edge into 6 equivalent sections. Make sure the markings are in the same exact place on both sides.

17. Prepare triangles for the points of the stars. Fit them as close together as you can on the cardboard to use it efficiently.
18. Cut 12 triangles.
19. Match corners of triangles with marks. Tape the bottom edge of triangle to circle - 5 on first side.
20. Tape 5 on other side. **Save last two triangles for the gap where piñata will be filled (see 24).**

21. Cut 6 rectangles. These will edge the points of the star.
22. Bend the rectangles in half.
23. Tape edges to triangular points on both sides (minus the one with the candy filler gap)
24. Fill the center with candy or other filler. Tape closed and add last star. This will be the top point. Check all stars by wiggling them. If they move, tape them down more until they are totally secure.

25. Mark the top star point in the same spot on both sides.
26. Cut a hole on each mark and thread wire through. Tie and tape ends together.
27. Tape the wire completely down on both sides.

28. Cut 3 inch strips of crepe paper. Fold it up and cut repeatedly into one edge to make a fringe. Mix half white glue and half water.
29. Brush glue along the edge of points and stick on some uncut crepe paper. I used red, but would use a lighter color like yellow or pink next time.
30. Brush glue along the top of star point, all around, and place the first fringe on the glue so that it goes around the entire point of the star.
31. Brush another line of glue just below the edge of the fringe and stick on another fringe.

32. Continue layering the glue and crepe fringe. 3 layers of red. 3 layers of yellow.
33. 3 layers of green.
34. 3 layers of purple.
35. 4 layers of pink.

36. After each star point is covered, place piñata on a stool or box to raise it from the ground and continue with layering the fringe. Follow the shape of the circle as you fill each side of the piñata. You can see that I put yellow down here before I started the layering.
37. 4 layers of pink. 4 layers of yellow.
38. 3 layers of green. 3 layers of red.
39. Finish the center of the circle by folding the yellow over on itself around continuously until the center is completely covered.

40. Take strips of crepe paper, gather them randomly together. Fold down twice and staple in place.
41. Glue strips on the very tips of star points. I totally forgot this step until a couple hours before the fundraiser, so I used a hot glue gun. Next time, I think I'd do this step before adding the fringe layers.

You should now have one brilliant star piñata ready to be enjoyed...and then destroyed!

If you make it through all those steps and make a star piñata, I'd love to see it!

Feel free to share a picture in my flickr group Share with Sunny Stitching.