• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Celebration Generation
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Life
  • Shop
  • Costuming
  • Spandex
  • Gluten-Free
  • Autism
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Life
  • Shop
  • Costuming
  • Gluten-Free
  • Autism
  • Contact Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Media
  • Join us on Social Media - Food

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Join us on Social Media - Costuming, Etc

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Celebrations & Holidays » DIY

    Pi Day Pinata Tutorial!

    Published: Jan 21, 2021

    Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

    Sharing is caring!

    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • Email
    • Tweet
    • Share
    • Tumblr
    Jump to Recipe -

    Pi Day Pinata Tutorial

    Originally Posted March 7, 2009. Updated 1/21/2021

    A two part compilation image shows the making of a pinata, and A bright green pi symbol-shaped pinata, against a black background. Text says How to make a pi day pinata.

    If you want to get extra about the coming Pi Day, consider making this Pi Day Pinata! It's fun, endlessly customizable, and great for puns!

    Note: If you are looking for our epic, "internet famous" Pi Backsplash, check it out here.

    With Pi Day (March 14) coming up, my husband and I decided to just go crazy with it.

    We'll blog about the festivities later, but for now... I want to blog about the piece de resistance.. our PInata!

    Neither of us had ever been involved with making a pinata before, and it sounded like a fun - and wholly appropriate - challenge!

    This pi day pinata would be a fun project for any couple or family to do together.

    Or, hey, any pi-obsessed individual... but I will say that two sets of hands REALLY helped it go faster, and there were many times where the extra set of hands helped with handling.

    Of course, the principles of design that we utilized in the creation of our Pi Day PInata could be applied to many different themes and shapes of pinatas, so go nuts with it.

    A bright green pi symbol-shaped pinata, against a black background.

    If it's not in the cards for you to make one for this year's Pi day, consider other occasions that would/could call for a Pinata.

    Traditionally, it seems that you're supposed to paper mache a balloon, and use that as your base.

    We couldn't think of any possible way that would fit with our ideas, so we had to Macguyver a solution. Here is what we came up with.

    Warning, this will be a fairly photo-heavy blog entry!

    Supplies and Equipment to Make a PInata

    Styrofoam slab(s)
    Foam Glue
    Large piece of bristol board or cardboard
    Newspaper
    Duct Tape
    Flour
    Water
    Stuff to fill it with
    Tissue Paper
    Ribbon, string, twine, etc.

    How to Make a Pi Shaped Pinata

    Make Your Base Form

    My husband had a large slab of 2" thick styrofoam in his workshop.

    He cut two 2' x 2' squares, and glued them together to make one 4" thick square.

    I drew an outline of a Pi symbol, being sure to not only keep the whole thing proportionate, but also make the leg sections wide enough to "hold a lot of stuff".

    He then used both a table saw (to cut the rough shape) and a hand saw (to trim it close to the shape) to cut the shape out of the styro block, then fine tuned the edges with a sanding block.

    Prepare your Materials and Work Space

    I then covered the entire thing with plastic wrap, loosely. This was to make it easier to remove our pinata from the mould later on.

    We cut out newspapers into 1-2" strips, and laid out some garbage bags as a drop cloth.

    Then, we made our paper machee "glue" from about 2 parts flour to 3 parts water for our glue, then added a couple teaspoon of cinnamon because I hate the smell of flour water.

    It really helped!

    A little "do as I say, not as I do", here:

    Before you start paper mache-ing (is that a word?), you should trace your styro shape out onto bristol board or cardboard. We didn't, and had to deal with some hassle as a result - more on that later.

    A large pi symbol shape - made of foam - is being covered in paper mache.

    Do the Papier-Mâché

    For our initial round of paper mache, we did a total of about 2 layers over 1 face and the whole way around our styrofoam shape, then let it dry completely.

    We got impatient with it at this point and removed the shell from the styrofoam before adding another 2 layers of paper mache, but in hindsight.. I wouldn't suggest doing that.

    Just add another couple layers over the ones you already did, and let it dry completely again.

    A large pi symbol shape - made of foam - is being covered in paper mache.

    Concurrently to all this, you should also be doing a total of 4 or so layers of paper mache to the shape you traced on the cardboard.

    (We didn't! We traced our final, extracted shell onto newspaper and layered THAT.. but then it shrank and we had to Macguyver it some more!).

    This will be the piece that seals off the other face of your pinata.

    The papier mache form is used to trace its shape onto a rectangle of flat paper mache.

    Once everything is dry, flip it over and carefully extract the styrofoam.

    The pi shaped papier machee form has been pulled off the form, and is displayed on top of it.

    You may or may not need to let the inside dry some more. Or extract a kitten from it, as we found ourselves doing repeatedly!

    The paper mache pi symbol is resting on garbage bags, while a fan dries it out from above.

    Cut and Reinforce the Holes

    Another thing we didn't do was reinforce the holes that would hang the pinata.

    I'd suggest doing that by figuring out approximately where you are going to cut the holes in the top, and run a bunch of duct tape across it, either from the inside of the top, the outside of the top, or both, then cut your holes.

    Also, now is a good time to run a length of ribbon or string through those holes and tie off on the outside - it will help you run your string, rope, or whatever through the holes later, as doing so to a finished pinata would be really difficult.

    Scissors cut two holes in the top side of the pinata.

    Consider Your Filling

    While all of that is drying, you're probably looking forward to stuffing it and getting this show on the road.

    We took the time to go to the local Dollar Tree, which was an excellent source of all KINDS of weird stuff to pack into our PInata!

    I wasn't much into the idea of using poufs of tissue paper to space out goodies, so I bought a pack of leis instead - double duty stuffing!

    An assortment of candies and random toys - pinata stuffing - is shown spread out on a brown carpet.

    In addition to that, we included a kite (because it seemed hilarious to put a kite in a PInata!), candy, etc etc.

    Also, we cut 3 or 4 rough 4" blocks from the scraps of foam that we had cut away from the main Pi shape earlier on, to use as structural support pillars inside the pinata.

    When everything is dry - inside and out -, position your foam pillars inside your pinata cavity, then evenly stuff it with your.. stuff.

    A two part image, showing the pinata being stuffed with goodies. An orange cat is "helping".

    Seal in the Filling

    A pi shape is cut out from the sheet of flat paper mache, and placed on top of the main pi shape, as a cover.

    Place the flat Pi shape on top, and weigh it down with something - we used cans of salmon and roasted red peppers, LOL.

    A two part image showing the stuffed pinata being covered, and the cover being weighted down with cans.

    Go ahead and paper mache your way around that whole edge a couple of times, and let that sucker dry completely.

    Cans of salmon and roasted red pepper weigh the cover down on the pinata, so the edges can be sealed/

    The paper machee pinata is shown with all edges sealed shut with more paper mache.

    How to Decorate a Pi Day Pinata

    At this point, we were so excited to see the finished product that we forgot to continue taking photos, so I'll have to just describe how we went about decorating our pinata.

    First of all, as it was a combined Pi Day - St Paddy's Day party, we decided that it should be bright green, and be wearing a black belt with a yellow buckle.

    We cut up a ton of tissue paper into roughly 2" wide strips, and then into 2" x 2" squares. Then, we drew the lines for the belt and buckle

    Using a wide paintbrush and some regular white Elmer's Glue, we painted the entire back and sides of the pinata with glue, and covered it with a layer of tissue squares.

    Green squares over most of it, black squares within the lines of the belt. This helped prevent any show-through of the paper mache between the poufs.

    IF we were truly smart, we would have either left it like this, or at least done the traditional fringe thing.. but NO.

    Tissue Paper Puffs Pinata Decoration

    We decided to get fancy, and harken back to our kindergarten days with some .. I have no idea what you call it.

    Tissue paper pouf?

    Basically, we:

    Cut a bunch of squares from tissue paper - maybe 2.5" square?

    A two part compilation image showing strips cut from light green tissue paper, and then squares cut from those strips.

    Took a square of tissue paper, centered it around the end of a pencil...

    A two part compilation image shows a square of tissue being wrapped down around a pen.

    ... dipped it in glue, and stuck it to the PInata.

    A two part compilation image shows the tissue-covered pen being dabbed in glue, then applying the tissue to a piece of brown paper, forming a puff.

    Repeat with another pouf pretty close to it..,

    A two part compilation image showing puffs of tissue paper being applied to brown paper.

    ... and reapeat, ad nauseum.

    A group of light green tissue puffs on a brown paper background.

    Once you've got the back and sides covered and they've dried, flip it over and repeat with the front, starting with completely covering it with a layer of squares.

    NB: We soon gave up on the pencil and just poked our fingers into roughly the center, and then dipped the resulting peak in the glue. While that helped it go faster, it was still a serious undertaking. The back side and sides took a couple evenings, and then the front took another evening..but in the end, it was totally worth it.

    A bright green pi symbol-shaped pinata, against a black background.

    Finishing Your Homemade Pinata

    Run your rope/string/whatever through the holes, using the earlier ribbon to pull it through, hang it up, and beat the crap out of it.

    OR, be like us, and refuse to take part in the destruction of your labor of love, and just videotape your friends looking like goofballs 🙂

    A young blond man wearing a t shirt with a white and black cow print pi symbol on it stoops over a broom, beneath a suspended pinata.

    A young blond man wearing a t shirt with a white and black cow print pi symbol on it hits a pinata with a stick.

    As a closing note, put more thought into what kinds of things will survive the bashing than we did. For the record, pixy stix may result in sugar everywhere. Toys and kazoos may break. Small and compact is best!

    Enjoy!

    A bright green pi symbol shaped pinata is suspended from a wooden rafter.

    Wanna Nerd out With Us Some More?

    There's a LOT of nerdery - and geekery - going down on this blog. Here are some favourites...

    Bubble Bobble Wedding Cake
    Dalek Cake for a Doctor
    Dalek Sugar Cookie Decorating
    "Convention" Brownies
    Convention Sloppy Joes
    Gluten-Free Lembas
    How to Make a Weeping Angel Costume
    How to Design & Install a Nerdy Backsplash
    Miruvor Recipe
    My Convention Survival Guide
    Partridgeberry Pie & Cosplay Geekery
    Roasted Convention Chili Recipe
    That Time I made a TARDIS Cake for Geek Royalty..
    The Epic Klingon Cake
    The One Cheese Ring
    The Silence of the Lambs Cake
    The Story of Foopmallet
    Tremors Wedding Cake

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

    Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, and subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

    Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    A bright green pi symbol-shaped pinata, against a black background.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 1 vote

    Pi Day PInata

    If you want to get extra about the coming Pi Day, consider making this Pi Day Pinata! It's fun, endlessly customizable, and great for puns!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs
    Drying Time1 d
    Total Time1 d 3 hrs 20 mins
    Servings: 1 Pinata
    Author: Marie Porter
    Cost: $20

    Equipment

    Scissors

    Ingredients

    • Styrofoam slab s
    • Large piece of bristol board or cardboard or multiple pieces taped together
    • Newspaper
    • Duct Tape
    • Flour
    • Water
    • Stuff to fill it with
    • Tissue Paper
    • Ribbon string, twine, etc.

    Instructions

    Make Your Base Form

    • My husband had a large slab of 2" thick styrofoam in his workshop.
    • He cut two 2' x 2' squares, and glued them together to make one 4" thick square.
    • I drew an outline of a Pi symbol, being sure to not only keep the whole thing proportionate, but also make the leg sections wide enough to "hold a lot of stuff".
    • He then used both a table saw (to cut the rough shape) and a hand saw (to trim it close to the shape) to cut the shape out of the styro block, then fine tuned the edges with a sanding block.

    Prepare your Materials and Work Space

    • I then covered the entire thing with plastic wrap, loosely. This was to make it easier to remove our pinata from the mould later on.
    • We cut out newspapers into 1-2" strips, and laid out some garbage bags as a drop cloth.
    • Then, we made our paper machee "glue" from about 2 parts flour to 3 parts water for our glue, then added a couple teaspoon of cinnamon because I hate the smell of flour water.
    • Before you start paper mache-ing (is that a word?), you should trace your styro shape out onto bristol board or cardboard. We didn't, and had to deal with some hassle as a result - more on that later.

    Do the Papier-Mâché

    • For our initial round of paper mache, we did a total of about 2 layers over 1 face and the whole way around our styrofoam shape, then let it dry completely.
    • We got impatient with it at this point and removed the shell from the styrofoam before adding another 2 layers of paper mache, but in hindsight.. I wouldn't suggest doing that.
    • Just add another couple layers over the ones you already did, and let it dry completely again.
    • Concurrently to all this, you should also be doing a total of 4 or so layers of paper mache to the shape you traced on the cardboard.
    • (We didn't! We traced our final, extracted shell onto newspaper and layered THAT.. but then it shrank and we had to Macguyver it some more!).
    • This will be the piece that seals off the other face of your pinata.
    • Once everything is dry, flip it over and carefully extract the styrofoam.
    • You may or may not need to let the inside dry some more. Or extract a kitten from it, as we found ourselves doing repeatedly!

    Cut and Reinforce the Holes

    • Another thing we didn't do was reinforce the holes that would hang the pinata.
    • I'd suggest doing that by figuring out approximately where you are going to cut the holes in the top, and run a bunch of duct tape across it, either from the inside of the top, the outside of the top, or both, then cut your holes.
    • Also, now is a good time to run a length of ribbon or string through those holes and tie off on the outside - it will help you run your string, rope, or whatever through the holes later, as doing so to a finished pinata would be really difficult.

    Consider Your Filling

    • While all of that is drying, you're probably looking forward to stuffing it and getting this show on the road.
    • We took the time to go to the local Dollar Tree, which was an excellent source of all KINDS of weird stuff to pack into our PInata!
    • I wasn't much into the idea of using poufs of tissue paper to space out goodies, so I bought a pack of leis instead - double duty stuffing!
    • In addition to that, we included a kite (because it seemed hilarious to put a kite in a PInata!), candy, etc etc.
    • Also, we cut 3 or 4 rough 4" blocks from the scraps of foam that we had cut away from the main Pi shape earlier on, to use as structural support pillars inside the pinata.
    • When everything is dry - inside and out -, position your foam pillars inside your pinata cavity, then evenly stuff it with your.. stuff.

    Seal in the Filling

    • Place the flat Pi shape on top, and weigh it down with something - we used cans of salmon and roasted red peppers, LOL.
    • Go ahead and paper mache your way around that whole edge a couple of times, and let that sucker dry completely.

    How to Decorate a Pi Day Pinata

    • At this point, we were so excited to see the finished product that we forgot to continue taking photos, so I'll have to just describe how we went about decorating our pinata.
    • First of all, as it was a combined Pi Day - St Paddy's Day party, we decided that it should be bright green, and be wearing a black belt with a yellow buckle.
    • We cut up a ton of tissue paper into roughly 2" wide strips, and then into 2" x 2" squares. Then, we drew the lines for the belt and buckle
    • Using a wide paintbrush and some regular white Elmer's Glue, we painted the entire back and sides of the pinata with glue, and covered it with a layer of tissue squares.
    • Green squares over most of it, black squares within the lines of the belt. This helped prevent any show-through of the paper mache between the poufs.
    • IF we were truly smart, we would have either left it like this, or at least done the traditional fringe thing.. but NO.

    Tissue Paper Puffs Pinata Decoration

    • We decided to get fancy, and harken back to our kindergarten days with some .. I have no idea what you call it.
    • Tissue paper pouf. Basically, we took a square of tissue paper, centered it around the end of a pencil, dipped it in glue, and stuck it to the PInata. Repeat with another pouf pretty close to it.. ad nauseum.
    • Once you've got the back and sides covered and they've dried, flip it over and repeat with the front, starting with completely covering it with a layer of squares.
    • NB: We soon gave up on the pencil and just poked our fingers into roughly the center, and then dipped the resulting peak in the glue. While that helped it go faster, it was still a serious undertaking. The back side and sides took a couple evenings, and then the front took another evening..but in the end, it was totally worth it.

    Finishing Your Homemade Pinata

    • Run your rope/string/whatever through the holes, using the earlier ribbon to pull it through, hang it up, and beat the crap out of it.
    • OR, be like us, and refuse to take part in the destruction of your labor of love, and just videotape your friends looking like goofballs 🙂

    Notes

    As a closing note, put more thought into what kinds of things will survive the bashing than we did. For the record, pixy stix may result in sugar everywhere. Toys and kazoos may break. Small and compact is best!

    A bright green pi symbol shaped pinata is suspended from a wooden rafter.

    Related posts:

    Several brightly coloured wax relief dyed pysanky easter eggs, on a white background. Easy Pysanky [Ukrainian Easter Eggs] 6 different Chocolate Zombie Easter Bunnies are arranged on a beige coloured oval plate. They're all green woth red, white, and brown designs to make them look blood spattered, scarred, etc. Chocolate Zombie Easter Bunnies! Free Crochet Pattern: 1 Up Mushroom Hat 1 Up Mushroom Baby Hat [Free Crochet Pattern] Various sushi fixings are shown laid out on a paper-lined table. There are plates of fillings, a bowl of rice, a stack of nori seets, and wrapping utensils. Potluck DIY Sushi Party!
    « Mushroom Goat Cheese Braid
    Savoury Alligator Pie Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Marie Porter


    Evil Cake Overlord, All -Around Kitchen Badass!

    More about me →


    Join us on Social Media - Food

    Facebook logo, a white F on a blue background. Instagram icon - a stylized white camera image on blue background. Pinterest Logo - White on red background.

    Join us on Social Media - Costuming, etc

    Facebook logo, a white F on a blue background. Instagram icon - a stylized white camera image on blue background. Twitter logo - a white stylized bird icon on an aqua background.

    More Than Poutine: A Uniquely Canadian Cookbook.
    Learn to sew with spandex

    Most Recent Posts

    • Crab Rangoon Pizza
    • Red Velvet Muffins
    • Hot Dog Sliders
    • Pretzel Buns

    We'd love to have you subscribe to our newsletter!


    META

    Site Admin

    Logout

    Entries Feed

    Comments Feed

    Footer

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Contact
    • Media

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up

      for emails and updates

    Our Other Blogs

    • Autism Rants
    • Beyond Flour
    • Low Carb Hoser
    • Spandex Simplified

    Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. While I’ll only ever link to items that I, personally, wholeheartedly recommend, I do need to put that disclosure out there!

    Copyright © 2020 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme