Project

Halloween Pumpkin Piñata

Who's ready to put the "treat" in trick or treating? This easy-to-make piñata is actually a paper lantern disguised as a grinning jack o' lantern.

Photography: Manal Aman

Source: Martha Stewart

Introduction

This idea comes from our friend Manal Aman. Stuff the piñata with candies based on the size of the opening to avoid clogging. You can choose to keep the lantern wire inside the piñata, which is fine if you're only putting confetti inside your piñata or very small candies. "For these Hershey's chocolates, I would definitely to remove the wire so that they drop out easily," she says. "And leave the top uncovered. This way, the piñata can also be refilled over and over again."

materials

Orange paper lantern

Orange crepe paper

White glue

Scissors

Cardstock in black and orange

Gold and white twine

Orange confetti

Double-sided tape

Wrapped candy

Large needle

steps

Assemble the paper lantern and fringe several strips of crepe paper. Starting from the bottom of the lantern, apply the fringed strips all the way around the lantern. (Tip: You'll notice that the lantern spirals, so when applying the strips, let the fringe follow the spiral shape. Cover entire lantern.)
To make the face, cut out two large triangles for the eyes and a small triangle for the nose. For his mouth, give him a toothy smile. Adhere facial features to piñata using double-sided tape or glue.
To make the plug, cut out a piece of crepe paper large enough to cover the bottom hole of the lantern. Use double-sided tape to secure a small piece of orange cardstock to the center of the crepe paper piece. Poke two holes using a large needle) in the cardstock and thread a long piece of twine through both holes.
Once the piñata has completely dried, remove the center wire from the lantern and place the plug inside the lantern at the bottom of the piñata.
Add orange confetti to the piñata, followed by candy such as Hershey’s chocolates.
Finish the piñata by stringing twine through the lantern’s hooks. Glue a black cardstock stem to the top of the lantern; add a plastic spider and a black tassel to the pull strings for visual appeal if desired.