Pros and Cons of a DIY Piñata

I love all the memories that I have of parties and piñatas. When I was little, my mom always made our piñata's using a giant balloon, flour, water, and strips of old newspapers. If she put more than eight layers on, it would take us at t 100 hits to break through the piñata.

I was preparing for my little boy's birthday party a few weeks ago. Out of the blue, I decided to make the piñata for the party. Instead of making it out of paper-mâché, I decided to use cardboard. It turned out great! From the many piñatas I have helped create, here are some pros and cons of making your own piñata.

Pros of a DIY Piñata

1. Everyone gets to hit the piñata a lot. With a homemade piñata, they tend to last through some hard blows! Have you ever been to a birthday party where the second child that hits the piñata breaks it? I remember having this happen a couple of times. I was always disappointed that I didn't get a turn.
2. You can make it any shape you want. Whatever your child wants, you can do. It is super simple and a lot of fun! It was gratifying as I drew the shapes on the cardboard and taped them together. I felt like a kid again. It was so much fun to create whatever I wanted.
3. Your kids get to see it come to life. I love working on crafts around the kids. Because they get super excited about the finished product, it took me two or three days to finish my little girl's piñata after I cut it out. I had to set it aside until I had another second to finish it. She kept asking me what it would look like and when it would be done. I think the anticipation made it that much better for her.
4. You can make it as big or small as you like. For my daughter's birthday, we were only doing a family celebration. The piñata ended up being about the size of a gallon of milk. On the other hand, for my son, we planned a birthday party with at least 12 kids that were invited. I made the piñata a little too big; it stood around 3 feet tall. When the kids smashed that one open, there was candy everywhere. I went a little excessive on it. Ha ha
5. You save some money as you make your piñata. Some piñatas can cost up to $45 at a store. When you make your own, you might spend $5 or $10 to decorate it. I had a few things around the house that I could decorate, both piñatas I made with, so I didn't have to spend anything on them! 
6. You are recycling old things and making them new. I am all about using materials until they are worn out. With homemade piñatas, you recycle old cardboard boxes and make them come alive.

Cons of a DIY Piñata 

1. It takes up time, and time is money. Honestly, I did not spend hours upon hours working on my piñatas. I think I spent around 45 minutes to an hour on each. But do you want to make a piñata ridiculously elaborate? It could take you a couple of hours to accomplish. It is totally up to you.
2. Sometimes shapes may not turn out how you want them to. When I finished my little boy's cactus, I was slightly disappointed and wondered if anyone else would know what it was. My husband said it looked like a cactus, but I had doubts. On my second go around, creating a piñata that looked good was a lot easier.
3. For my three-year-old's birthday, I way over did the piñata and how tough it was. No matter how hard they hit, all the three-year-olds could not break the stinking thing. Finally, my five-year-old took the bat and smashed and smashed it until there was a small hole. Keep that in mind as you determine the age group for which you're making a piñata.
4. Sometimes kids don't think homemade things are cool. For me, it doesn't matter, but if your child is picky, you might have difficulty convincing them that a homemade piñata is just as good as a store-bought one.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." Written by: Sarah