Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}

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Octopus Pinata Tutorial

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It’s been a birthday kind of week here at Positively Splendid! Monday, I shared the full details of the under the sea birthday party I recently planned for my daughter’s fourth birthday earlier this month, and yesterday I gave details for how to create sand pail cupcakes and cupcake toppers. Today, in the final installment of this little series, I’m giving you the scoop for how the kiddos and I put together this darling hula girl octopus pinata!

To create the papier mache portion of the pinata (the octopus body/head), follow the method I used for the ruffled ice cream cone pinata I created last year. Once the ribbon hanger has been placed in the top of your balloon and it has been filled with candy with the bottom sealed as detailed in that tutorial, here’s what you’ll need:

Acrylic paint
Foam brushes
Adhesive foam in assorted colors (I used black, white, grey and red)
Kraft paper or paper sack
Hot glue
Crepe paper streamers
Long twisting balloons
Hand balloon pump
Clear packing tape

step 1 / Prop your papier mache body in a bowl to act as a stand. Using foam brushes, apply 1-2 coats of acrylic paint over the body. My kids had fun helping with this step! Allow the paint to dry completely.

step 2 / Cut out facial features for your octopus from the craft foam. I made mine nice and girly, but you could easily make this suitable for a boy, as well. Adhere the features to the front of your octopus. Cut a strip of Kraft paper that is about 4 inches wide and long enough to go around the bottom of your octopus to conceal the covered bottom opening. Cut vertical slits in this piece to make it resemble a hula skirt, and then use hot glue to adhere it around your octopus body. Accessorize the “waistband” of the skirt, if desired, with a piece of streamer, adhering the piece with hot glue. Feel free to add other streamer accessories, as well. (I gave our octopus a pink hairbow.)

step 3 / Use your hand pump to blow up 8 of your balloons, so that there is about a 6 inch portion at the end of the balloon that remains unfilled when you tie it off. Wind this unfilled portion around, as shown, and adhere it to your octopus body with packing tape so that the wound balloon portion and tape are hidden under your hula skirt. Be sure to space your balloon legs evenly around your octopus body as you go.


You are finished!

Take lots of pictures at this point, because it won’t be long until eager partygoers crack into your handiwork. šŸ˜‰



I hope your week is going swimmingly so far! Teehee. šŸ˜‰

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Linking this to…
Tatertots and Jello

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Comments

  2. Karen's Ideas Galore says

    Very cute…my sister just made a Yo Gabba Gabba cake with “Foofa”…I think your pinata would fit right in (if it was painted pink). I haven’t seen that show, but it looks similar to me!

  5. Amanda says

    OMG!! that’s soooo cute!

    Iā€™d love it if you shared this with the Fun Family Crafts audience. FFC is similar to Craftgawker but it only features kid friendly tutorials. Looking forward to seeing what fun crafts you submit!
    http://funfamilycrafts.com