A pinata brings life to a party — especially an outdoor party!
Pinata: noun. A decorated figure containing toys and candy that is suspended from a height and broken open by blindfolded children [or adults] as part of a celebration.
If you’re going to hang a traditional pinata indoors, then make sure that you have lots of wide open space (such as a basement) otherwise, your home decor could get in the way when your party guests are swinging away.
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Pinatas aren’t that expensive to buy (between $20 to $30) — but it’s a lot more fun to make your own!
You can also involve the kids in this fun craft project.
Following are step-by-step instructions for making a wide variety of pinatas…
How To Make A DIY Pinata Yourself At Home
Materials Needed:
- A balloon, paper bag, or cardboard box – whatever you plan to use as your pinata base
- Glue – either Elmer’s glue, or make a flour & water mixture
- Paper strips (or newspaper strips) – lots of them, roughly 1-inch wide by 3-inches long
- String – to hang the pinata
- Candy and/or small toys – to fill the pinata with
- Decorating materials of your choice – crepe paper, tissue paper, streamers, googly eyes, etc.
- Scissors – to cut the paper and/or cardboard

Pinata Tutorials, Tips & Instructions
The step-by-step instructions vary, depending on the type of pinata you would like to make:
- Balloon frame pinata vs. Cardboard frame pinata
- Paper & glue pinata vs. Paper mache pinata:
These are all of my favorite pinata shapes, with DIY tutorials that walk you through the step-by-step instructions.
You can either click on the name of the pinata to read detailed instructions OR watch the video below the picture if you’re more of a visual person.
And sometimes the video provides an alternative version — to give you more than one way to make that type of pinata.
Ready to make a pinata? Take your pick!…
#1 – How To Make A Birthday Pinata Ice Cream Cone

#2 – Easiest Instructions To Make A Pinata From A Balloon
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#6 – How To Make A Lifesize Zebra Pinata

#14 – Tips For Making A Hot Air Balloon Pinata
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The Bottom Line
As you can see, making pinatas isn’t all that difficult. It just depends on how detailed you want your candy-filled whackable treasure chest to be!
Now you know how to make a pinata for kids OR adults for every occasion under the sun.
You know how to make a homemade pinata with cardboard. How to make a pinata without a balloon… and with a balloon. How to make a round pinata with cardboard pieces. How to make a birthday pinata. And even how to make a unicorn pinata with cardboard.
I predict the homemade pinata at your party is going to be a big hit!
And how fun is this?… See how to make candy-filled pinata cookies as a special treat for your party.
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Here are a couple more fun pinata collections to inspire you:
- Everything You Need To Know About Making Party Pinatas – from what to put inside your pinata to the 4 easiest types of pinatas to make
- Read This Pinata Guide Before You Start – the Pinata Boy has hundreds of amazing tips to help you create the perfect pinata for any occasion
If you found this post helpful, it would mean the world to me if you would share it with others on Pinterest:
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