A JOLLY FATHER CHRISTMAS PINATA

Piñatas are brilliant for celebrations, so this Christmas, gather your friends and family and watch as even the adults enjoy taking a swing at this super cute Father Christmas piñata. Follow our easy tutorial, and then fill it with little treats or treasures - just make sure that it's not too heavy!

You will need:

• A balloon
• Paint brushes
• Mod Podge Paste
• Newspaper torn into strips about 2cm wide
• Craft knife
• Red and white craft paint
• Googly eyes (or a black pen)
• Cotton wool
• Glue
• Multi-coloured raffia
• Optional: white wool and pom-pom maker for the bottom of Santa’s hat.
  
  

Let's get started!

Step 1:

Blow up your balloon and rest it on a bowl to keep it steady. Paint on a coat of Mod Podge to the area you are working on and apply the strips of newspaper side by side, overlapping ever so slightly.

We'd recommend applying five layers of newspaper to ensure the head is strong enough to hold its shape.

Step 2:

Once the piñata has completely dried, cut out a hole at the bottom of the balloon using a craft knife. The hole can be as big or as small as you like depending on what festive treats or surprises you are going to fill it with. Keep the circle you have cut out for later.

Step 3:

Time to start painting! Trace on Santa’s hat and face - we suggest applying the white first then letting it dry completely before applying the red for the hat. Mix together a small amount of red and white paint to make pink for Santa’s face. Once dry, add his eyes and a jolly smile.

Step 4:

Take some cotton wool balls and glue them on to make a moustache, eyebrows and fluffy beard. Not strictly essential, but we think a white pom pom for the bottom of Santa’s hat makes the piñata extra special.

Step 5:

Using the tip of the knife, make a small incision on the top of Santa’s head. Thread your raffia it through it until it comes out of the bottom of the head. Then tie a large knot in the raffia so it sits neatly inside the head allowing you to hang it up securely. We also added multi-coloured raffia tails to the bottom of the piñata for a touch more colour and fun.

Step 6:

It's time time to fill the piñata with your chosen festive treats. Remember the circle that you cut out of the bottom of the balloon? Re-insert it to stop those treats falling out too easily. Finally, hang the piñata somewhere with lots of space - we used a command hook to secure it to the ceiling - and have fun!