Initial Steps

You will be making your bird pinata out of papier-mache. Ours is made of strips of newspaper soaked in a flour-and-water mixture. When the papier-mache dries, it will be very hard.

If you would rather not break
Chucky to get at his stash of
candy, just take the tape off
the bottom.

• Large oval-shaped balloon
• Several sheets of newspaper
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of flour
• Container to hold the water and flour mixture
• Wide masking tape
• Black marker
• Acrylic or tempera paint: white and black
• Paintbrush
• 3 pkgs. of yellow tissue paper (in all one color or multicolored yellows)
• Pencil with new eraser
• White craft glue
• Disposable plate
• Typing paper
• Three 8-1/2x11-inch pieces of orange construction paper
• Yellow feathers (available in crafts shops)
• Individually wrapped candies

1. Download the free patterns for this project. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.)

Chucky Pinata pattern, part 1

Chucky Pinata pattern, part 2

Download Adobe Acrobat

2. Blow up the balloon and tie it. With a black marker, draw a circle on the bottom, about 3 inches in diameter, to help you remember to leave this hole uncovered.

3. Tear or cut the newspaper into strips that are about 1-1/2 inches wide. You will need enough strips to cover the balloon with three layers.

Steps 4 and 5.

4. Pour 1 cup of water into your container. Add 1 cup of flour to the water (always add the flour to the water). Mix the water and flour until it is thick like gravy, adding more flour if needed.

5. Dip each strip of newspaper into the flour mixture and put it directly onto the balloon. Cover the entire balloon with strips of paper going in all directions, except leave the circle you marked uncovered. Let this layer dry.

Step 6.

6. After the first layer is dry, make the eyes. Wad up two little pieces of newspaper about the size of a Ping-Pong ball. Tape these to the dry papier-mache with masking tape where you want the eyes to be. Now start the second layer of papier-mache by dipping the newspaper into the flour mixture and placing it over the eyes and all over the balloon. Do not cover the area marked with the circle. Allow this layer to dry.

Step 7.

7. If you want your pinata to be extra-strong, apply a third coat. Always be sure to leave the circle uncovered. The balloon may begin to shrink a little, but that is all right.

8. After the last layer is dry, pop the balloon -- this is fun! Reach in the hole and pull out the remains of the balloon. Fill the papier-mache sphere with wrapped candies and tape over the hole securely with masking tape.

9. Using the white paint, paint the eyes. Put a black dot in the middle of the eye with a white dot highlight. Using black paint, paint a large circle in the center of the pinata. This is where the beak will go after the tissue paper is on the pinata.