How to Make a Cardboard Piñata (Box, Number or Shape)

Box or cut-out shape: which cardboard piñata should you make?

A cardboard box piñata is the quickest build: tape a small shipping or cereal box closed, cut a filling flap and cover it in fringe. Stack and tape two or three boxes for a tower, a robot or a simple number 1.

A cut-out piñata is two matching flat faces joined by side strips. Many number, letter, star and animal piñatas are made this way, and one takes three to five hours with no drying days.

Corrugated cardboard is much tougher than three layers of newspaper. A taped number can take many hard swings without opening, so for young children it is often built as a pull-string piñata. For a strike piñata, use thin single-wall cardboard for the side strips and lighter card, such as poster board, for the faces.

What materials do you need for a cardboard piñata?

• Large flattened boxes of single-wall corrugated cardboard
• Pencil, long ruler or yardstick, and a printed outline of your shape
• A craft knife and cutting mat for adults, plus sturdy scissors
• Masking tape or kraft paper tape
• White glue, glue sticks or a low-temperature glue gun
• Tissue paper or crepe paper for fringe
• Strong cord, and a scrap of cardboard for the hanger washer

Cutting corrugated cardboard takes force. An adult should do all knife work, cutting away from the body on a mat, and supervise any glue gun use.

How do you draw and scale a number piñata?

For a birthday, a number 18–24 in (45–60 cm) tall is a common size. Keep every stroke at least 5–6 in (13–15 cm) wide so there is room inside for treats and the shape doesn't fold.

1. Print the number in a heavy, rounded font so it fills a sheet of paper.
2. Draw a grid of 1 in (2.5 cm) squares over the printout.
3. On the cardboard, draw a larger grid with the same number of squares. If the printed number is 8 in tall and you want 24 in, use 3 in squares.
4. Copy the outline square by square, then smooth the curves and widen any thin parts.
5. Cut out the first face, trace it onto more cardboard and cut an identical second face.

The same grid method works for letters, stars and simple animals. Give animals chunky bodies, and add thin legs, ears, horns or tails afterward as decorations rather than as part of the candy space.

How do you attach the side strips?

The side strips set the piñata's depth: 3–4 in (8–10 cm) suits most numbers, and 4–6 in (10–15 cm) suits larger shapes.

1. Cut long strips so the corrugated ribs run across the width of the strip. Strips cut this way bend smoothly around curves; crease them for sharp corners.
2. Before assembling, cut a three-sided flap about 3 in (8 cm) square in the back face for filling, leaving one side uncut as a hinge.
3. Stand a strip on edge along the outline of the front face and tape it every 2–3 in (5–8 cm), inside and out. Join strips end to end with tape.
4. For the holes in numbers like 0, 4, 6, 8 and 9, tape a strip around each inner edge as well.
5. Set the back face on top and tape all around the seam.

Which tape and glue work best on a cardboard piñata?

• Masking tape or kraft paper tape: the best all-round choice. It grips cardboard, and glue and fringe stick to its paper surface.
• Clear plastic packing tape: strong, but glue slides off its shiny surface. If you use it on seams, cover it with masking tape before adding fringe.
• Duct tape: very strong and hard to tear, which can make a strike piñata too tough. Keep it to the hanging point, if you use it at all.
• Glue: white glue and glue sticks hold fringe well. A low-temperature glue gun is fast for fringe and seams, but it is for adults only.

How do you reinforce the hanging point?

The hanger carries the whole load, so it deserves more care than any other part. Strengthen the hanging point, not the walls you want to break.

1. Before taping on the back face, pinch the top edge loosely at a few spots and let the shape dangle to see where it hangs straight.
2. Punch two holes about 2 in (5 cm) apart through the side strip at that spot.
3. Cut a cardboard washer about 2 × 4 in (5 × 10 cm) with two matching holes. Thread the cord down through one hole, through the washer inside, and back up through the other hole, then knot the ends into a loop.
4. Tape over the washer inside and around the holes outside.

Wide or lopsided shapes, such as a 2, a 7 or a long-necked animal, hang more level from two loops joined in a V. Test-hang the finished piñata with its full load before the party.

How do you cover a cardboard piñata with fringe?

Fringe the faces in overlapping rows from the bottom up, exactly as in the beginner piñata method, and trim each row to the outline. Cover the side strips with a single row of fringe or a flat band of tissue or crepe paper, and leave the filling flap's edges free so it still opens.

A 24 in (60 cm) number usually takes roughly 6–12 sheets of tissue or one to two crepe streamer rolls, depending on the shape. Fill it, tape the flap shut and cover the flap with a last strip of fringe.

Need a large or complicated number? All Pinatas is preparing a marketplace where independent makers will offer birthday and number piñatas; it isn't taking orders yet.