How to make a piñata – number five piñata

Over the next few weeks I thought I’d share some birthday inspiration from the girls’ birthday parties. Today is how to make a piñata using a cardboard box and a loose piñata pattern for a number five pinata.

Step 1:

Find a decent-sized box. Ours was a sand and water table box, because it was a rectangle shape. There’s no exact measurements here, so choose the size you like. I found for number five, it works best to have a rectangle rather than a square-shaped box.

Step 2:

Draw on the front of the box the shape you wish to make. So for us, it was number five. Make sure the sides of your number five drawing go directly to the edges. You’ll see why in a minute.

Step 3:

Using a Stanley knife (or a kitchen knife in our case), start cutting the inside sections of the five – that is, the half circle at the bottom of the five and the straight and curved sections of the top. Do not cut along the length of the box at the sides, only across the width.

Step 4:

I found it useful to then use the knife or a long pencil to trace through to the back of the box from the inside. Repeat the cutting steps.

Step 5:

On the half circle at the bottom, you should now have cut the front half circle, back half circle and across the width of the side of the box (as shown).

Step 6:

For the top, you should now have cut into the box from right to left, followed by a cut downward and then finally the curve shape. Do this for front and back, along with the right-hand length of the box (as shown – so much easier to see in pictures than to explain in words!)

Step 7:

Go through and measure strips to cover the exposed outer edges to enclose the pinata. Then use tape to stick the strips to the pinata. You should have plenty of cardboard leftover to do this.

Step 8:

Now to decorate. Take some streamers and slice three quarters of the way up the width of the streamer, being careful not to cut all the way through. These cuts can be about 1-2 centimetres apart. TIP: To make it easier, put a few layers of screamers together and cut a few streamers at once.

Step 9:

Wrap the streamers around the number five cardboard cut out. You can alternate between colours or use one colour. It’s completely up to you.

Step 10:

You’ll notice we left a few holes to allow us to put in treats for the kids.

Find yourself a decent stick, the end of a broom or, in our case, an umbrella to use to bash it open at the party. It’s fairly durable, so it takes a bit to crack open, but then, that’s half the fun!

What are your favourite birthday party games?

Want more birthday inspiration? Try…

• How to make Wizard of Oz birthday boxes
• Perfect gift ideas for 6 year old girls