Piñatas are a fun decoration to have at any child’s party. They can be expensive to buy at a store, but are an affordable party decoration and activity to make at home with the help of supplies you might already have. If your child is having an airplane-themed party, make him a jumbo airplane piñata to fill with candy and party favors. The kids will be thrilled to see it flying through the air as a guest tries to take swings at it.
Things You'll Need:
- Newspaper, Torn Into 1 By 6/8-Inch Strips
- 2 Large Boxes
- String
- Acrylic Paint
- Paper Towels Or Copy Paper, Torn Into 1 By 6/8-Inch Strips
- 1 Large Balloon That Can Blow Up To 1 Foot Wide By 4 Feet Long
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 4 Tablespoons Salt
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Medium Bowl
- Masking Tape
- 2 Cups Flour
Make the glue mixture. In a bowl, combine the flour, water and salt. Mix until no lumps remain. The consistency should resemble thick glue.
Blow up the balloon so it measures 4 feet in length. Place it in a box so it doesn’t roll away.
Brush vegetable oil on the balloon to prevent paper from sticking to it when it's popped later.
Dip a strip of torn newspaper into the glue; place it on the balloon. Repeat this step, adding the newspaper strips so they overlap in all different directions until the balloon is covered. Leave a small hole at the top of the balloon uncovered so it can be removed later.
Let the paper dry for at least 24 hours. Cover and store the glue in the refrigerator.
Create the plane’s wings. Open up the cardboard box so it lays flat. Outline the shape of the plane’s wings so it measures 1 foot wide by 2.5 feet long. Cut two wings out of the cardboard.
Create the vertical and horizontal stabilizers (tail) of the plane. On the cardboard, outline the vertical stabilizer to go on the top of the plane’s tail. It should resemble a triangle that’s a 1/2 foot wide by 2 feet tall; cut one out of the cardboard. The horizontal stabilizers also will need to be outlined on the cardboard, and are also triangle-shaped 1/2 foot wide and 1 foot long); cut two of these out.
Tape the wings' opposite ends to the paper-covered balloon, the vertical stabilizer to the top of the plane’s tail, and the two horizontal stabilizers on opposite sides of the tail with masking tape to hold them in place.
Place a new layer of newspaper on the balloon and the new parts added. Dip a strip of torn newspaper into the glue mixture and place it on to the balloon horizontally. Continue to place strips of glue-dipped newspaper horizontally over the balloon, making sure they overlap until it is completely covered.
Let the second layer of paper dry for at least 24 hours.
Apply a third layer of paper to the balloon and added components using white copy paper or white paper towels.
Let the third layer of paper dry for at least 24 hours.
Pop the balloon and remove it from the hole you left on the top.
Paint the piñata the colors you desire so it resembles the outside of an airplane.
Fill the piñata with a lot of candy and treats.
Carefully make a couple of holes at the top of the piñata with a paper hole punch.
Tie a thin, strong rope through the holes of the piñata and hang.
Writer Bio
Flora Richards-Gustafson has been writing professionally since 2003. She creates copy for websites, marketing materials and printed publications. Richards-Gustafson specializes in SEO and writing about small-business strategies, health and beauty, interior design, emergency preparedness and education. Richards-Gustafson received a Bachelor of Arts from George Fox University in 2003 and was recognized by Cambridge's "Who's Who" in 2009 as a leading woman entrepreneur.
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