DIY Popsicle Pinata

I have been obsessed with all the DIY pinatas from the beginning of time (Pinterest time that is...). Kelly from Studio DIY has the biggest collection of pinatas on her site. I'm pretty sure that is one happy office she works in.

I have been wanting an excuse to make a pinata for awhile now. No, I did not throw Ashley's Surprise Party JUST to make the pinata...but it was close. :)

I decided on a Popsicle shape for 2 reasons: 1. It was an easy shape. 2. It was a "dessert themed" party, and by themed, I mean we had A LOT of dessert :)

OK, so what you will need to make your own ginormous Popsicle pinata is:
cardboard
tissue paper/ crepe paper
glue
string (I used jute)
wire
x-acto knife
packaging tape

First I got my cardboard and drew a Popsicle shape onto 2 of my big sheets of cardboard.

I then used my knife and cut those two shapes out, as well as several long, 6" wide strips for the sides. I also cut the "stick" for my Popsicle.

Next you will want to put together your shape. I read a few different tutorials, and some people used glue and some people used tape. I chose tape because I felt like the wait to for the glue to dry would be too long and not sturdy enough. I just taped that sucker up. The shape didn't have to be perfect, just because I knew I could create a better shape with the tissue paper. When doing the sides, I would just bend my cardboard strips to make them as flexible as possible for the top curve.

Once your shape is taped together, you will want to cut a strip in the bottom of the Popsicle for the stick.Then you will next to receive flak from your husband about your new "tombstone" pinata. :)
 

Now you will want to cut all your strips of tissue paper. Like I stated in the DIY Party Hat post, I really tried to use what I have. If I could have chosen, I would have used crepe paper...but I still have a ton from the wedding, so that is what I used. Crepe paper would have been better because it is already cut into long strips. You will just cut a lot of strips, about 5" wide. I then folded each strip in half, and cut my fringe.

I chose to do an ombre pinata (duh) so I made markings on the cardboard as to where I would start each color.

Now, you just start from the bottom up! Its a little time consuming, but this is when I catch up on The Tonight Show. The top was a little weird, but I just kept adding more of the dark pink in smaller strips so no cardboard showed.

Before you cover up all of the sides, I cut a flap so that we could add the candy. I also went ahead added my wire to the top, so that we could hang it from a tree. Make sure to reinforce that part!

Next I put gray tissue paper on the stick and glued that into it's slit in the bottom.

Now just add your candy and hang that sucker Popsicle from a tree and let your friends hit away :) It was pretty fun channeling our inner child.