So I have been planning my Jane Austen 29th birthday party for a few years, and I did not let the Coronavirus get in the way. We had the party and it was a lot of fun. Even though the party has passed, I am still going to share all the things we did and how I put it together.
So I love piñatas! I mean who doesn’t like hitting paper mache with a bat and getting a reward?
Besides me loving piñatas, I had four little girls planning on coming and wanted to make sure I had some things for them as well. When I was doing my party planning I spotted a homemade teapot piñata on Almost Unschoolers. I thought to myself, I could totally do that-I have made piñatas before, I mean it was a donkey not a teapot, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be too difficult.
And I thought with today being Cinco de Mayo, I thought what better day than today to blend my culture with Jane Austen. So here we go:
Supplies:
- 1 Cup of Flour
- 2 Cups of Water
- 1/2 tbsp of Salt
- Newspaper
- Plastic Bag
- Balloon
- Gesso or paint
- Paintbrush
- Glue
- Crepe Paper
- Cardstock
- Scissors
- Cup or Bowl for Balloon to rest in
- Candy or Teabags
- Fake Flower (optional)
- Hot Glue Gun
Directions:
- Lie a plastic bag on the table.
- Blow a balloon up and set on a cup or bowl in order to apply the paper mache.
- In a large bowl combine flour, water, and salt-whisking to remove any lumps.
- Cut newspaper into strips, about 2 inches wide and 4 inches long.
- Dip paper into flour mixture and cover balloon. I recommend doing two layers, letting it dry, and repeating another two layers.
- After all is dry, carefully pop the balloon and throw it away.
- Paint paper mache with white paint or gesso.
- After the paint or gesso has dried, begin covering the piñata in crepe paper strips (I found it easiest to paint the glue on and work bottom to top). Be sure to cut each strip so it has a fringe look.
- Fill piñata with candy or teabags (or both).
- Using cardstock, create handle, lid, and spout. When making the spout, take the cardstock and create a funnel, cutting the paper down until it is the right size.
- Hot glue the pieces on and the fake flower to the lid.
Here we are after I gessoed it:
Then when I added the crepe paper and cardstock:
Candy and tea bags inside:
And of course the finished product:
At the party!
Now piñatas aren’t hard or expensive to make they just take time. I only spent $7 on this as I already had the water, flour, newspaper, and fake flower. The cardstock was $1, the assorted candy $4, and the Stash teabags $2.
I’ve been having so much fun sharing all these things with you, I can’t wait to continue with all the other party plans!
janeaustenrunsmylife 