How to.. make a Paper Mâché Piñata Fish!

If you are planning a birthday party this summer or any party with games and want a little wow factor make the kids your very own paper mâché piñata! They are colourful and for the older children fun – an opportunity to let off a little steam. They are easier to make than you think.

So, paper craft continues.. but in the form of paper mâché! I decided to use the natural shape of a balloon to make a fish.

1) Materials: Flour & Water (for paste), newspaper, balloon, cardboard (to shape tail). Paint brushes. PVC glue and tissue paper. Sweets/ small gifts for filling, masking tape and string for closing up and hanging.

2) Mix roughly 1 part flour to 2-3 parts water. Mircowave on full heat stirring until you have a wallpaper consistency paste. This paste will keep in fridge 2-3 days. I recommend using a container that you could throw away afterwards (e.g. ice cream tub).

3) Tear newspaper into strips. One inch is fine. Though have some smaller ones to hand for fiddly bits (mouth & attaching of tail).

4) Cover balloon but leave a hole on top. Roughly two layers worth. Don’t make it too thick, as you want the piñata to be breakable!

5) Cover cardboard of tail with newspaper (to give even painting surface), attach by adding long strips of paper over the top of tail down the balloon and the diagonally across these. Make sure news paper is NOT too wet, else it will all break off. If it is too wet, add some dry strips to soak it up.

6) I pre shaped the mouth and then added small layes of newspaper to smooth it over. If this is too fiddly for you, just paint one on! I found once I done this, that my hole at the top wasn’t centrail, so I cut some of the mâché away and repositioned. Do it gently though and don’t burst the balloon!

7) Let dry.

8 ) Paint in desired colour scheme. I chose my colours based on the tissue paper I had – which was salvaged present wrapping! Thrifty me!

9) Cut one inch wide, maybe 2 inch long strips of tissue paper (I roughly use one large sheet).

10) Start glueing at base of tail and work your way round in a spiral. I marked where the face should be, so that I could have a nice even line there. Save some tissue paper for covering the hole.

11) Let dry.

12) Fill with goodies. Make holes for string to hang from. Cover big hole with masking tape and add some tissue paper or paint.

13) Have fun!

Red Ted LOVED the piñata. I have to confess, he loved it so much, that I didn’t have the heart to actually use it as a piñata ,I think he would have cried.

Oooh how lovely, this post was featured: 

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