Making a Butterfly Pinata

This pinata was the hit of our 5th Birthday Butterfly Bash. To make it, we taped an oval balloon to a broomstick handle wedged between two chairs, and covered it with a mixture of 1 inch wide newspaper strips and paper mache paste (1 part flour to 2 parts water, with a few tablespoons of salt). We did not cover the bottom of the balloon, which created the open hole shown here.

When the body was completely dry (a few days), we popped and removed the balloon. Then we mixed more paste and glued on strips of colored tissue paper from the dollar store. For the wings, we cut two large cardboard hearts and covered them with tissue paper. We drilled holes in the body and attached the wings (when dry) with pipe cleaners. We also drilled holes at the top of the head to add pipe cleaner antennae and string for hanging.

After filling the pinata with lollipops, we tied a string firmly to a round piece of cardboard cut slightly larger than the hole. Then we wedged it in as a stopper, and covered the cardboard with more tissue paper. We glued on additional strings (as decoys) so each child could pull one in an attempt to open the pinata. They had a blast. The pinata cost less than $2.00, but the fun we had making it as a family and then sharing it with our guests was priceless.

By Natalie from Exeter, NH