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Thursday, May 31, 2012

How to make a DIY pull-string pinata

I will just keep milking this construction birthday party for all it's worth!



I ordered a bulldozer pinata from Amazon, and when it arrived it appeared to be one of those where you put candy in the top and then hit it with a baseball bat. We've done this before with varying success, usually the small children can't get it to open so an adult has to step in and give the final death blows, if you will, to get the candy out.

bulldozer pinata


This particular pinata didn't even have a place to put candy in from the top, so I decided to make it a pull-string pinata, where the candy goes in a hatch at the bottom, and all the children can pull on strings simultaneously to make it open.


First, I cut a flap in the bottom of the pinata with scissors.




Then my children filled the pinata with cookies.




I taped the correct number of strings to the inside of the flap.

DIY pull string pinata


Then taped the flap closed.




My husband hung the pinata from our trellis on the deck.




When it was time, we assembled the children, handed each one a pail to collect their cookies with, and let 'er rip.



The cookies were free from a home and garden tour a few weeks ago, so I just popped them in the freezer until that morning. A small change from the traditional candy, but the kids just like anything falling from the sky!


Have you entered this week's giveaway yet? It's a book of your children's artwork by My Little Picasso, just click!

Jessica

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11 comments:

  1. What an awesome idea! Sometimes pinatas can be the sturdiest things ever (I can't even break them sometimes and I'm an adult!) so those strings are just perfect :-) I have a brand new link party going on right now and I'd be thrilled if you'd link this up!

    http://practicallyfunctional.net/2012/05/the-fun-in-functional-link-party-1/

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  2. Oh, yes...the kids want to hit those suckers with bats, but it never works... until they turn about 10..then watch out. yo.

    Perfect Solution, girl!!!

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  3. My husband's family hangs a pinata up every year for Easter (a little strange). All the grandkids get to take turns swinging at it from youngest to oldest. The kids just love it. Looks like yours did too.

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  4. great great idea!! my daughter made a simple piƱata for her brothers birthday..always a hit!!

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  5. That is perfect! What a great idea for little ones. It's hard to break those suckers most of the time anyway ;) Perfect solution!!

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  6. Brilliant. And, no one gets accidentally hit in the head with a baseball bat!

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  7. Great idea!! You are one creative mom! Juliana wants a mermaide pinata for her birthday in July not sure if I am brave enough to try to make one though.
    Have a great weekend!

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  8. We did one of these at my girls' third birthday, and that last picture reminds me how funny kids are. They're just stunned when all that stuff falls out. We have a video of one kid who kept looking a the ceiling expecting more candy to fall. So funny!

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  9. Jessica-

    I have never seen a pull-string pinata! Great idea for the little ones...

    I'm sharing this at Pinterest, so I will remember it for Jackson's 3rd birthday.

    Have a lovely weekend,
    Nicolette

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  10. Great idea! My moms' group did a hit-with-the-bat pinata at our most recent playgroup... this would've worked MUCH better!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I love hearing what you have to say! Sometimes I'm busy chasing after the three kids who can walk, or feeding the baby, but I promise, at some point I'll get back to you and head over to your blog (if you have one) to leave you a comment too:)