The piñatas are colorful, original, festive and infallible elements in traditional celebrations, especially in Mexico where they originated, from there they have spread little by little around the world, so if you are planning a party do not hesitate to incorporate them, it will give you that fun and nice touch. 

Here are 15 ideas that will be all the rage this year. Apply these trends and your party will be a sensation.

What is a piñata? 

Most people know what a piñata is, but if you are not clear, a piñata is a structure made of cardboard, paper, and even in some countries clay and filled with candy, small toys and other gifts for party goers. 

The idea is that the celebrant blindfolds himself and tries to break it with a stick, in order to release everything that is inside. It is common that the turn to hit the piñata is exchanged between the celebrant and the assistants.

This tradition is common in different types of parties such as birthdays, Christmas, weddings, and is suitable for people of all ages, varying in content and material.

What is needed for a piñata?

Before deciding to make your piñata, you should check what you need. There are elements that are essential for its manufacture, so pay attention to the list:

• Paper, it can be newspaper, cardboard, recycled, colored, whatever you want, but in good quantity.
• Good quality white glue, to prevent it from peeling off before it is broken.
• Scissors and cutter.
• Balloons, streamers, confetti and other such celebratory items.
• Rope, strong thread or something that you can tie and hold well.
• Acrylic paints, brushes, tempera paints.
• Adhesive tape
• Plastic or wooden sticks to hold the structure of the piñata.
• Filling: candies, small toys.

Remember that when using glue to make the piñata, you must wait for the piñata to dry to prevent the piñata from falling apart or being ruined. You can always count on Kiddus products, in this case, with the clocks on their website, which will help you to measure the drying time.

How to make a piñata? Step by step

Once you have the materials you can start building the piñata, like this:

1. Prepare the base: This is the first thing you should do, prepare the base of the piñata, mix glue with water so it has a more liquid consistency, inflate a balloon the size you want for your piñata and then cover it with the strips of paper or newspaper that you have previously dipped in the glue mixture, that yes, leave a small opening at the top (ie, leave a space without paper, so that there you can fill it when it dries). Repeat this process three more times
2. Fill it: When the base is thoroughly dry, insert the candy and elements through the opening and then cover it with cardboard.
3. Decorate the piñata with the color or figures you want, the idea is that depending on the occasion you are going to celebrate, you can give life to your design. Remember that your piñata should not be too heavy, to avoid overloading it.
4. The string: You need to hang your piñata, so this step has to do with placing the rope and for this make two holes in the top of the piñata and there pass the rope or thread, make sure it does not fall, that is, that it is resistant. 

15 piñata ideas 2023 

Keep in mind the following ideas that are trending in 2023 and that you can make at home:

Star-shaped

You need: 

• Cardboard
• Crepe paper, gold, silver and black (can also be a glossy paper)
• White glue
• Scissors
• Tape
• Wooden or plastic structure. 
• Elements for backfilling

This is how you make it:

Draw a large star on the cardboard and then cut it out.

Cover the star with newspaper to generate volume so that it can be filled and when it dries put paper of the color you want on top, it can be several colors making sure they alternate so that they are bright, apply good glue, fill it and that's it. Glue the parts you want to secure a little more with tape and then hang it carefully.

Dinosaur-shaped

You need:

• A large balloon

• Newsprint 

• White glue and water

• Green, white and black paper.

You do it this way:

Inflate the balloon and cover it with the paper strips dipped in glue, let it dry well. 

Draw a dinosaur on the green paper the size needed to cover the balloon, add details with the other colors of paper, such as eyes and teeth. Remember to leave an opening at the top and fill it in, close the opening and hang it. 

Reindeer-shaped

• Medium balloon.

• Newsprint

• White glue

• Brown, red, white, black paper.

• Scissors

• Ropes

• Elements for backfilling

How to do it:

Inflate a balloon and as we have told you, cover it with paper and glue, make several layers. Then paint the reindeer with the selected colors and shape the piñata, glue it on the covered balloon, fill it and hang it with a string or cord that goes from side to side.

Unicorn shaped

For this piñata, as in the previous ones, keep the basic materials, i.e. glue, scissors, ribbon, ribbon, rope and candy and toys for the filling.

This time, use cardboard instead of the balloon, pink, white, purple and purple paper, wooden sticks.

To make it, draw a unicorn on the cardboard and then cover it with the pink and white paper, decorate the figure with the gold and purple paper details, fill the piñata and close it, it is ready to hang. Note that you can use markers to decorate the piñata.

Burrito Pinata

Use some recycled cardboard boxes, colored paper of the texture you want, white paper, pencil and ruler and that's it, you have the materials (besides the basics you always use). 

To build it, draw with a pencil on the cardboard the figure of a donkey (do this on two pieces of cardboard), then cut them out and glue them, put pieces of paper or cardboard in strips to give volume to the donkey (leave the space to fill it), then cover with paper of the color you have chosen and prepare the details, such as the nose, mouth, tail, make a little fringe on the forehead, in short, decorate it so that it looks good, glue the tail, the rope and you would have it ready to hang.

Simple piñata

This is one of the simplest options, as we told you, the idea is that you help yourself with a balloon, so you will need a large balloon, white glue, newspaper or recycling paper, colored strips and a string.

You do it this way: 

Inflate the balloon first of all, then cover it well with strips of newspaper or recycled paper, once you have it well covered, glue it well with glue, leave a part uncovered (remember that you put the surprises there, let it dry very well, now put more paper, as you did the first time, once it is dry, prick the balloon and remove it, make two slits or small holes and put the string through there. 

Now cover the entire piñata with colored strips, very close to each other to cover the entire surface. Now you have your piñata.

Original Piñata (in cereal box)

This is a very original and beautiful idea, you just have to get these materials:

• A box of cereal
• Scissors
• Tissue paper
• Folio
• Double-sided adhesive tape
• White glue
• Colored ribbons

Steps:

The first thing is to cut the front and back of the box to make a frame.

Cover the remaining windows with a piece of paper and fill them well before gluing them.

Then cut tissue paper and ribbons of the same size to cover the box, make bangs with scissors, put colored ribbons, make two slits on the sides and pass through there the rope. When it is well filled with colored paper, let it dry and hang it.

Piñata in the shape of a number 

You can make, for example, the number of birthdays you want to celebrate. For this, use the base materials and use cardboard to make it firm and to make it easier to shape.

The first thing to do is to draw the number on the cardboard (write it twice so that they are the two sides of the piñata), this face and face put some wooden or plastic sticks so that they serve to give volume and gradually cover with paper. Let it dry.

Then cover it with colored paper of different textures, you can decorate it by gluing small objects such as buttons, stickers and glitter. Put the string on the sides and when it dries well, it will be ready to hang.

Piñata in the shape of the sun

Use the basic elements that we have mentioned in the text, now cover a round balloon with newspaper or recycled paper, once it is dry, cover it with golden paper and wait for it to dry. Before gluing the paper, remember to leave a space to put the stuffing.

Then you can decorate the sun with eyes and mouth. Around it put a vertical crown of rays, try to make them of irregular sizes and that's it, put the rope from side to side and you can hang it.

Heart-shaped piñata

As with the sun, you can do it with a balloon, inflate it and then draw a heart that covers the entire balloon on two sheets of paper, paste the sheets on the balloon and shape it with newspaper, once it is dry put red paper on top, it can be bright or opaque, the important thing is that you cover it well. Make two holes on the sides and then let it dry well. Remember to fill it (the hole you leave for the filling can be in the upper part of the heart just in the middle, you can put the candies and toys in there), you can hang it and enjoy.

Butterfly piñata

For this one you need the basic elements, as well as colored transparent paper. 

First draw a butterfly of the size you want on two pieces of cardboard (that is, make the same drawing, exactly the same, twice), now give distance to one part and another by gluing a thick wooden tube in the middle of the butterfly (you can also glue an empty toilet paper tube, that is, without the paper. Once this is well glued, joining each of the drawings begin to cover it with newspaper, make two or three layers to make it strong and let it dry well. 

Once it is dry, cover it with colored paper, but with the transparent colored paper make small circles to decorate the wings of the butterfly, then put two little antennas with a bow and fill it with glitter.

Finally, attach a rope from side to side, secure it well and that's it.

Cloud Pinata

Add cotton to the base materials.

Draw the cloud on cardboard, twice the same, so you can glue one on top of the other. Before gluing it, cover each side so that it gets stronger, leave room to fill it and then cover it with cardboard. 

Cover with white and blue paper and now carefully glue pieces of cotton, put the string from side to side and it is ready to hang. Just let it dry well.

Flower Pinata

With the basic materials and a little bit of glitter, you will achieve a beautiful and original flower. To make it, make the center of the flower by inflating a balloon. You must inflate the balloon and cover it with glue and newspaper, leave a space without paper that will be where you fill the piñata, once dry prick the balloon so that a consistent paper ball remains. Cover that ball with green paper, then cut out the petals proportional to the center of the flower, glue them around and cover them with colored paper, add a little glitter on them, put a string or cord from side to side so you can hang it and that's all.

Moon piñata

It is very easy, in addition to the basic materials, get a shiny silver paper, inflate a balloon, glue newspaper and then the shiny paper on top and let it dry well, leave a part without gluing anything on it so you can put the candies and small toys there. Then attach a string for hanging. The trick in the moon piñata is that around it, once you hang it, you can glue stars and small satellites in bright or luminous colors. 

Pumpkin-shaped (ideal for Halloween)

Halloween parties are becoming more and more popular and if you are thinking of having one, you could make a simple and fun pumpkin-shaped piñata. 

To do this inflate a balloon and as in most of the piñatas we explain you paste newspaper on top, when it has a more or less strong consistency, explode the balloon and leave only the paper, cover it with orange paper, put black eyes and his typical mouth, put a rope from side to side and in the space you left to fill closes with a cardboard in the shape of a green branch. That would be all!

How to make a piñata out of cardboard?

If you want to use a more resistant material, you can build your piñata with cardboard, use colored paper, glue and sticks to reinforce the structure. Draw the shape or figures you want, cut it out and glue it on the cardboard, decorate it with the colors and let it dry before filling it.

How to make a balloon piñata?

As already mentioned, in the balloon piñata this would be the base, you glue everything and put the colored papers on them, you can also use metallic papers that give a very sophisticated touch to the decoration. Once the balloon is dry, pop the balloon and leave only the base.

How to make a spinning piñata?

If you want to make a totally different and fun piñata you can make it spin.  You need: 

• Cardboard, paper, glue, scissors, tape, wooden or plastic sticks, strong rope.

Steps: Cut out two cardboard circles of the same size, then glue the circles with the wooden or plastic sticks in the middle (make it like a sandwich), cover the cardboard with colored paper and don't forget to leave room for the opening where you put the stuffing. Let it dry very well and then hang it, you will see how it rotates.

Conclusion

A piñata is a traditional and fun element that can also be done as a family and to everyone's taste, you just need to have the necessary materials, define what you are going to do and do it in time (the day before the event would be just enough) so that it dries well and you can adjust it if you need it. With these ideas take the first step and let your creativity fly!

If you enjoy making crafts with your kids, this blog has several articles with amazing ideas you should read: How to wrap gifts step by step, face painting easy kids,homemade experiments and more.