Make your own christmas pinata - no skill required!

Making your own Christmas present piñata is easy, cheap and a fun way to keep children of all ages busy this Christmas.

 All you need is;
# A cardboard box - I get a lot of packaging so I had a few saved up but you can generally get them for free at your local corner shop or buy them fairly cheaply online.
# Some stuffing - Suitable for the kids in question. This is for a family of boys, the eldest of which is 15 and the youngest 3, the stuffing also needed to be halal so I spent a while reading labels. Never knew there were so many ingredients in swizzles sweets. You can spend as much or as little as you like - from a few wrapped sweets from the local market to a whole host of flash goodies.
# Wrapping paper - you can even cut out and stick on pictures from old magazines or get your children to have fun decorating it themselves. You can even make them fluffy like a traditional piñata. 
# String or ribbon

Instructions
1) Fill the box with your stuffing
2) wrap it or decorate it
3) Add ribbon

Couldn't be simpler than that! I'm busy working and dealing with porley children this Christmas so I haven't had time to make the usual flash Christmas pinata's for the children I buy presents for so this was a quick and easy solution I thought I'd share.

Christmas orders.

We've been really busy with Christmas orders again this year. The ever popular Christmas pudding piñata's being outranked by little monsters. Which was quite surprising. We'll add new photo's when we've finally caught up with everything and dealt with the giant balls and assorted body parts! 

 

 

Russian doll pinatas

  Not only are there piñatas that look like Russian dolls,

we can also make one piñata that slots inside another!

Or seven in this case. We'll add more photos and information when the flower tower is finally complete.



We had to stand on a chair to get a picture from above it's that tall!

Marble pot.

This is our first project, made entirely from paper pulp (and marbles). We used some 'antique' and some modern marbles (140ish) as something interesting to set into the mush.

We were a bit impatient and managed to squish the first layer. It still needs painting. The whole pinata lady family were involved in the making of it.

Sorry this picture is so ropey there was a giant inflatable pink unicorn trying to eat out of it at the time. Out of literally hundreds of pics this was the best. One day we'll get around to takeing some more!

We built the base first and then built up the sides a layer at a time. We really wouldn't recommend this as a first project with pulp! We got to this point and decided it would make a nice ash tray and that we never wanted to see the blooming thing again.

1st anniversary -

Today was the first anniversary of the piñata lady (And the piñata pimp as well as piñata face).

We made a giant neon pink willy with oversize balls. It was the first and only one where we used wool for a more 'realistic' effect. We were really worried it wouldn't sell and when it did it only went for 99p. Not remotely worth if for the 6 hours work that went into it.

Over 100 piñatas later we still don't have a proper website (long story), We're at least starting to get the hang of the sales side of things and we're still having fun doing what we do best!

Our 50th piñata was the camper van (my favourite) the 100th was probably the red heart. Hopefully next year we'll have a big party somewhere and celebrate in style (11/4/13).

We did have a celebratory bottle of tequila stashed but we drank too much of that last weekend and we're still at the point where we're swearing we'll never do it again! Maybe we'll save it for next year.

The pinata lady: custom made pinatas: Christmas again!

The pinata lady: custom made pinatas: Christmas again!: The little monsters have been even more popular than our fabulous Christmas puddings this year. Our house is covered in random assorted ...

Christmas again!

The little monsters have been even more popular than our fabulous Christmas puddings this year. Our house is covered in random assorted body parts which seems a bit more fitting for Halloween than Christmas!

Will add some pictures when I've more time! If you're interested in placing an order or getting a quote you can contact us at pinatalady@gmail.com

Vip party - check out ma poles!

These aren't technically a piñata, but they could have been. This was a quickly knocked up cordon for a VIP party. There was a set either side of the red carpet and they looked pretty damn good at the event, even if I do say so myself.

The organiser couldn't find any to buy online and managed to talk me into it. We had to knock them up during a busy few days and they weren't as dry as we'd have liked but they worked quite well. The cord is Japanese silk bondage rope and looked great hanging between the cordon poles.

Pet coffin

We were recently asked to make a coffin for a family pet. Here's a photo we were sent just before her burial and have added here with the owners consent.

The pet in question was a much loved elderly cat that belonged to a friend. One we've all spent time with. We hope she rests in peace.

For prices and more information on our biodegradable pet coffins please e-mail pinatalady@gmail.com

Katsuma Pinata (pull string)

 First attempt at a pull string piñata!

We do not currently have permission to sell moshi monsters merchandise,  hopefully we will have in the future!

We're back and bigger than ever!

So much for trying to take a couple of months off to get things in order  - we've been busier than ever and I still can't find anything. I've no idea where half of my piñata stuff is. I should try to take time more often.

The toaster exploded (I know how it feels) the table's all loose, the washer's in the post (I'm going to install it myself, I hope). The computer works fine I think, but it's hard to tell when the tower and the monitor are no longer on speaking terms. Everything seems to be broken and my paper order has gone awry. The house is lovely though, over 100 years old with lots of original features, including a keeping stone in the cellar that self cleans every time it rains, and a pan shelf that's full of monsters (as well as random assorted bits).

I'll leave the moaning there, I've still 3 pinata's to finish by the end of the weekend and I guess I should add a few more pictures to this and at least make some effort to pretend to be organised!

 

VW camper van wedding card box

This is another wedding card box and it's the last order we're doing before we move. We're hoping to get chance to finish off a few projects of our own between packing and organising everything, there's less than 3 weeks to go now.

It's smaller than the last one and the slot is at the top of the roof - there are more pictures in the facebook album click on this text to see the full set of pictures . The wheels also move on this particular card box, but not incredibly well! 

These wedding card boxes are unique to us and custom made to your specifications.

Moving premesis.

We move in 4 weeks so we won't be taking any orders due before September 2012.

It's chaos here at the moment. I spent last night with a camper van that was wrapped in cling film after, going to bed at silly o'clock working on it. I've now got two days left in which to finish it, find a new premises, tie up any loose ends in my day job and prepare to go away for the weekend with children and friends. All of this whilst packing and preparing for a move with my family as well as keeping the house tidy for viewings.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.449011815129806.105173.234857009878622&type=1 - to 'watch' it being made.

It doesn't seem possible on 4 hours sleep - but then that might just be the wine talking (kindly provided by my daughters best friends mum at her leaving party earlier today, where we had an obligatory piñata). I probably shouldn't be attempting to write a blog post under the circumstances but what the hell, if I was sober and well rested I'd be doing something more useful at this moment in time anyway!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.347527261944929.87115.234857009878622&type=1 - Most recent wedding piñata!

Kirkstall Abbey craft stall.

On a lovely sunny day, within the beautiful grounds of Kirkstall abbey, we had our second craft market.

 There were flowers, hearts, various monsters and animals, as well as a spider, a couple of butterfly's and aeroplanes - as you can see from the pictures. Sarah did some fabulous printed mugs and t-shirts which will be available from her website soon.

The next stall is on the 1st of July - hope to see you there!

Stall at Kirkstall Abbey on the 27th of May 2012!

It's taking us a while to get up to date with this new blog because we're currently working on over 80 piñatas plus other painting and papier mache projects. Here are a few examples!

Wedding piñata

We have a couple of commissions for wedding piñatas and valentines day is coming up so our house is full of hearts and flowers!

Penguin and snowman piñata.

  Great little winter piñatas.

More Christmas piñatas

Here are some pictures from our first craft stall! It was an indoor market at a local gallery through most of December 2011.