DIY Toy Story Space Alien Piñata
Buddy requested a Toy Story themed birthday this year. The two of us searched on Pinterest for ideas for a piñata that we could make. We settled on making a Space Alien (to be known in this post as a Pizza Planet since that is what Buddy calls them). This pin is what inspired our piñata. I am going to walk you through the steps to create your own piñata at home and save some money.
Materials Needed:
- Punching balloon
- Newspaper
- Paper mâche paste (equal parts flour and water)
- Crepe paper
- Hot Glue gun/glue sticks
- Cardboard (for ears)
- Scissors
- 1 pencil
- 1 piece of tinfoil
- Wire for fashioning a hanger
- Rope
Phase 1 – Paper Mâche (KID FRIENDLY)
- Rip the newspaper into long strips
- Mix up paste – equal parts flour to water – I used 2 cups of each and added a little additional water to thin the paste out. Mix until most clumps are gone
- Blow up the punching balloon to the desired size of your final piñata
- Place inflated balloon on a bowl to hold it
- Dip newspaper in the paste – remove excess paste with your fingers and apply strips in a flat layer to the balloon
- Repeat until the balloon is totally encased – the more layers you apply – the harder the piñata will be to break
- Place somewhere to dry – if it is a sunny day out you could put it outside during the day and bring it back in at night.
- Let the piñata dry for at least 3 days – possibly longer depending on the weather (humidity doesn’t allow the paste to dry quickly)
Phase 2 – Prep Work
- Once dry determine where you will cut a hole to insert the prizes (we made a small square in the back and covered it with duct tape once the prizes were inserted ***KID FRIENDLY ACTIVITY)
- Fashion a hanger on the top of the piñata (my husband did this for me)
- Drill 4 small holes into the top of the pinata
- Insert wire through the holes and twist together at the top
- Make antenna
- I used a pencil with a ball of tin foil on the top
- Use a knife to make a small hole for the antenna (in front of the hanger)
- Duct tape the pencil to the top of the piñata
- Make ears
- Use thin cardboard to trace four ear shaped pieces
- Bend the end of each piece of cardboard to create a 1/2 inch flap
- Using duct tape secure the flaps to the piñata (flap out) – leave 1/2 inch space in the middle of two ear pieces to make the ears 3-D instead of flat
Phase 3 – Decorating
- Plug in hot glue gun
- Start unrolling crepe paper
- Use scissors and create notches on the bottom of the crepe paper roughly 1 inch apart across the entire length (this creates volume and makes the piñata look more like its store bought)
- Start applying already notched crepe paper
- Start on the bottom of the piñata and work around the circumference
- Apply a line of glue to the piñata – stick on crepe paper
- As needed stop and notch more crepe paper
- When you get to the ears apply the crepe paper down the length and wrap around the other side pulling the tips of the two pieces of cardboard together
- Around the antenna and hanger you may have to cut the crepe paper and start again with a new piece – glue the overlap down so it doesn’t flap
- For the antenna wrap the crepe paper around the pencil and tinfoil ball
- Cut three eyes out of white cardstock
- Cut three pupils and a mouth out of black cardstock
- Adhere the pupils to the eyes with hot glue
- Adhere the eyes and mouth directly to the piñata surface
Phase 4 – Admire your completed Piñata!
Phase 5 – Watch children gleefully kill your beautiful Piñata!
Stay tuned this week for more details of Buddy’s Toy Story birthday party.
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This idea seems so simple, yet looks fabulous – I love it! Those little alien dudes have always been my favorite part of the movie – “The claw decides who will stay and who will go…”
thanks! my mom makes pinatas with all of the grandkids for the 4th of July and I decided it was a good idea to try them myself! Pinatas are very expensive at the store and this way you can make it whatever you want!
You truly are a crafty mom. Your instructions are clear and easy to follow . I love your photos too ! This activity brings back memories of my girls ‘ birthdays
Thank you! I really try to do fun things with them and make fun memories 🙂
That pinata turned out so cute!!! You did great with decorating it!! How old is your son – so fun that he was able to help. We love toy story and will probably have to have a toy story themed party at some point.
– Betsy @ AMother’sRoad.com
My son just turned four! I love looking for projects that we can work on together – especially when it comes to prepping for their parties. Tomorrow I am posting the roundup of all of the Toy Story ideas from the party so take a look – it might come in handy someday!
What a great hands-on party treat. I think it’s great that you were able to let Buddy help you make it. He’ll have such great memories of the party and preparing for it.
Thanks! Pinatas are so much fun for the kids. By making our own we saved money and created memories!
What a great idea for getting the kids involved in the party planning. Your pinata turned out so cute!
Thanks! The kids have so much fun and feel such a sense of ownership when they get to help pick what they have at their party and sometimes help make items!
I had no idea a Pinata was so easy to make! And this one is so cute. We usually end up buying them for birthday parties, now I’ll be making them. Thanks for sharing the process!
They sure are easy – you just need to plan ahead so you have enough time for it to dry. I’ve also seen pinatas made out of cardboard boxes and decorated!
That is an adorable pinata! I would’ve never thought of using a punching balloon. I love the oblong shape it gives the pinata.
Thanks – the punching balloons work perfectly because they can get blown up to such a large size and are a bit thicker plastic. It did work perfectly to make the oblong shape!
Hi, Shannon:
The pinata/DIY Toy Story Alien came out fantastic, it looks great and I’m sure the kids had a blast with it. Your step by step tutorial is most helpful as well.
Thanks! 🙂
Thanks! I’m glad the tutorial was helpful 🙂
So cute! I remember making pinatas as a kid, but I haven’t done it with MY kids yet – with a B-day coming up I think we will do it soon!
It is a really fun project to do as a family 🙂
I love this! I did not realize piñatas were easy DIY projects. My kids would love this!
Pinatas are definitely a fairly easy DIY project – you just need to allow yourself enough time for the whole process 🙂
This is cute but I couldn’t imagine smacking that cute face with a bat. haha 🙂 I still think objects have feelings and Toy Story didn’t help me shake that belief. 🙂
I can understand that! I was a little sad to see it broken but they had a blast so I soon forgot 🙂
What a great project! It has been a few years since have had a pinata at a birthday party…might be overdue. Thanks for linking this up at #made4kids! We look forward to seeing what you link up this week starting Sunday at 10pm EST.
I’m glad to share and will definitely link up again in future weeks 🙂
What a great craft! And you made it look so simple. Im going to try this with my kids.
Thanks! They are easy just time consuming and messy 🙂 I didn’t post the picture of Buddy after we finished – he had decided to eat the paste (its only flour and water so I decided I wasn’t fighting with him!) and he had paste all over his face, arms, and clothes!
I love this!!! I have always wanted to make a pinata, but have never gotten around to it! This is one that I know my kids would love! Super fun!!
I’m glad you like it – you should definitely do one with your kids 🙂
Now that looks fun, and a great activity for kids to be involved in from start to play 🙂
Thanks – it was fun!
Such a talented mom. Dont know if i would have the patience to make one myself though.
Thanks! The only place that I had to practice my patience was when Buddy helped with the paper mache 🙂 He did great when I relaxed a little.
Paper mâché is so fun! I love the texture of the finished project!
Liquid laundry starch makes good paste as well, though that would add to the cost. It isn’t as pasty, and I find it easier to clean up!
Fun post.
It definitely is fun! I’ve never used the liquid laundry starch but I’m not sure if it would be kid friendly (especially when the paste ends up in Buddy’s mouth!). I like the idea of easier clean up though 🙂
Oh my goodness, that turned out AMAZING! What an beautiful pinata!
Thanks 🙂
Wow that is superb. You are right they are expensive and now with your well put together list – I will attempt to make one and see how it comes out.
Thank you! Its a project that you can really have fun with and save money at the same time. I’m sure yours will come out great 🙂
This is great! How fun and I bet everyone loved it! I found you on sverve and endorsed you. Let’s connect on social media 🙂
Thanks! I am following you on Facebook and will look for you on other social media as well 🙂
This looks like such a fun project! I’m sure my kids would love to make and tear apart this craft. Their alien turned out rather nice looking!
Kids do find them fun to make and break 🙂 I’m sure your kids would love making one!
What a groovy piñata. Great colour. The kids sure would have had fun knocking this alien about to get the treasures inside. I bet it took longer to make than to crack open.
Rachel.
Thanks! Buddy’s favorite color is green so it was fitting to have a green space alien. It definitely took more time to make than break 🙂
I love this idea. We used to make things with balloons and paper mache when my kids were young, but ours always looked a little rougher. Great step by step simple instructions and the finished green space alien looked amazing (RIP).
Thanks! I made a Mickey Mouse pull string pinata for a Valentine’s #DisneySide party we had and that was way harder due to the pull string portion but that was when I found another blog that had used crepe paper to cover the pinata. Growing up we just painted them but the crepe paper makes them look more professional.
Oh, that’s fun! I’ll have to make a homemade pinata one of these days for a birthday celebration. I love pinatas!
Have fun making one 🙂
What a cute idea! I love the thought of making your own piñata, they are so expensive in the stores, especially for something whose primary purpose is to get broken apart@ I could see us doing this as a football for fall parties coming up. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Yes – I think that’s why I like to make them – its hard to watch something you spent around $20 on get destroyed in a matter of minutes! Have fun at your fall parties 🙂
What a great idea. I love the alien!
Thanks! Buddy loved him too 🙂
You don’t know how perfect this post is!!! I am doing a toy story birthday party for my son’s first birthday and now I have to make this! I hope I don’t mess it up 😉
Thats fun – make sure you check out my full roundup about Buddy’s Toy Story party at . Have a great party!
That is one adorable pinata. I wonder if I can convince my son to have a Toy Story themed party this year… thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you liked it! The Toy Story themed party was a lot of fun 🙂
What a great pinata! I have never thought to make one! Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Thanks! I hope you have fun making one someday!
Awesome idea! looks like a lot of fun. I don’t think anyone is ever too old to hit the pinata.
I agree – every year my mom makes one with her grandchildren and without fail my grandmother has to take a turn 🙂
Such a great idea! I remember making a pinanta in an art class in elementary school. It was so much fun but so messy! Your son looks like he is having a blast!
he did have fun! they are definitely a perfect project for summer when you can make the pinata outside and then hose off after 🙂
Wow, it looks so good! And that’s so fun for kids to be a part of making it as well.
Thanks! The kids enjoyed it 🙂
I love this! Our little guy is too young for Toy Story just yet, but I think he would think a Toy Story party could be fun when he’s older. Plus, I’ve always wanted to make a pinata!
Its lots of fun!
How adorable!! What a fun party idea for kids!!
Thanks! the kids love pinatas 🙂
VERY creative – i’m impressed! 😀
Thanks! I appreciate you stopping by to look 🙂
Super adorable. You did a fantastic job. My kids haven’t seen Toy Story, but it just means that I have to expose them to a new movie! Yay!
You definitely need to show them Toy Story – my kids love it 🙂