How to make a pinata with cardboard … with a Fruity Pebbles cereal box!

This post is sponsored by Post and Pebbles Cereal. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Have you ever wanted to DIY a pinata? You can make a pinata with cardboard … or even a cereal box! I teamed up with Fruity Pebbles to one-up the pinata experience … I'm gonna show you how to DIY fruit scented mini pinatas! These DIY pinata party favors can be used as party decor or filled with treats for each guest. Plus they smell AMAZING.

Isn't he CUTE? With Mexican Independence Day right around the corner, it's the perfect time to plan a fiesta filled with treats and celebration. This DIY pinata party favor is a cute addition to your party decor. It can even used as a place card holder for a Mexican Independence Day dinner party.

If you love affordable DIYs, then you're gonna like that the base of this DIY pinata is made with a Fruity Pebbles cereal box! All you need is scissors and glue to make this magic come alive. Here's how to make this Fruity Pebbles DIY pinata party decor:

CLICK to watch this video on YouTube

Keep reading to get the full supply list for this DIY party favor idea. But first, let's talk about piñatas:

What is a Piñata?

The origin of the Mexican piñata has a long rich history. And some people even think the piñata origin is in China! The piñata is a central part of celebrations in Mexico, like the upcoming Mexican Independence Day celebration every September 16th. At these celebrations, you can find piñatas in all kinds of shapes, from animals to popular cartoon characters.

What are Piñatas made from?

Piñatas are typically made from a cardboard base covered with newspaper or paper mache and then decorated with tissue paper and brightly colored glossy papers to look like animals, shapes, people, or cartoon characters. But you can decorate a pinata any way you like. I covered this one with Fruity Pebbles cereal!

Why DIY piñatas are best

While you can buy piñatas pretty much everywhere, I love a DIY piñata the best. Piñatas are really fun to make and decorate. You can use piñatas as party decor, party poppers, or party favors … and then there's always the piñata game!

While this piñata is not meant for the piñata game, you could definitely get creative with filling and decorating a large scale piñata to use for the game.

How to make a piñata with a cardboard cereal box

Like you, I've been crafting a long time. I always try to minimize the amount of waste from my craft projects, especially when it comes to party supplies and party decor. We usually throw everything from parties away so I want to make sure that I am being as frugal as possible when making party decor.

When I was planning how to make this DIY piñata for Mexican Independence Day, these thoughts were front of mind:

• How easy is it to find the supplies? (crazy easy … you just need to go to the grocery store!)
• How affordable are the supplies? Can we use anything we already have or that's free? (the cereal box = free when you buy the cereal!)
• How can I make these confetti poppers as eco-friendly as possible? (the cereal box and cereal will biodegrade and the glue is non-toxic. You could use a paper based tape like washi tape to make this project even more eco-friendly)
• How do I make unique party favors that are better than the piñatas you can buy at a party store? (no one else is gonna have fruit scented piñatas, I guarantee it!)

An affordable DIY party idea

How many times have you found an amazing party DIY idea, clicked over, and saw you'd need $350 in hard-to-find supplies to make the project?

I always try to think about how easy it is to find the supplies I use and how affordable the project supplies and tools are. It's not right to say a project cost $10 to make if you're using a $350 electronic cutting machine to make it.

This DIY piñata is low-tech and low-cost. Plus it comes together lickety split. Seriously, I thought it was gonna take hours and even surprised myself with how fast this came together.

Family Traditions for Mexican Independence Day

Growing up, my dad made sure that we knew that Cinco De Mayo was not a holiday. Every September, he threw a huge bash in the backyard to celebrate what he calls “the real Mexican Independence Day”, on September 16th. He'd invite everyone we knew to come over for a backyard barbecue to end the summer.

We'd grill carne asada and Anaheim chiles and get tortillas from our favorite Mexican bakery. A fresh peeled roasted Anaheim chile, sprinkled with a little sea salt and wrapped in a warm flour tortilla is like a summertime staple around here!

Piñatas in family celebrations

The night ended with a piñata for the kids. We'd string it up high in the tree in the front yard. In later years we strung up the piñata right on the patio. The piñata is always a symbol of the end of the party, the big culmination!

Now everyone in my family has scattered to the wind and it's just us left here in California. But that's okay. We can still throw a Mexican Independence Day party for our friends and immediate family. These DIY piñatas make absolutely adorable place settings or table decor.

I mean, who wouldn't love this fun and funky piñata on their plate with a few candies and toys inside?

More Fiesta party ideas

We celebrate Mexican Independence Day as an expression of our Latino culture. It's a time to share in our food and traditions as we come together in celebration. Here are some more projects and recipes to inspire your Mexican Independence Day celebration:

• DIY Piñata Party Favor Boxes
• Mini Calbacitas Tacos Recipe
• Mole Nachos Recipe
• Grilled Avocado Chipotle Elotes – with no mayo!
• Easy Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas

Supplies to make a piñata with cardboard

I drew a handy dandy piñata pattern to help you make these piñatas from any material, including cereal boxes and cardboard. Click the button below to get the pattern emailed to you as a printable pdf pattern.

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You can find most of these supplies at the craft store or in your home. This piñata is easy to make and a unique, affordable party DIY!

Gather these supplies to make DIY piñata using Fruity Pebbles cereal:

• Fruity Pebbles cereal (or use Cocoa Pebbles for chocolate scent!)
• Permanent Marker
• Printable piñata pattern (click here to download it)
• Scissors
• Tacky Glue

How to make a DIY piñata with cardboard:

Project Time: 15 minutes

Dry Time: 1 hour

Makes: 1 cereal box piñata

Directions:

Carefully open the box of Fruity Pebbles cereal and flatten the box. Set the bag of cereal aside.

Print the piñata pattern twice.

Cut out the piñata patterns.

Turn over the box. Tape one pinata to the box right side up and the other pinata pattern to the box right side down. Trace the outline with the marker.

Cut out the piñata shapes about 1″ from the edge of the pattern.

Cut notches from the edge of the cardboard to the line of the pattern to create tabs.

Fold down the tabs on each side.

Join the two sides of the pinata shapes together, pressing the tabs together. Secure with tape.

Coat the pinata with glue on one side and along the edges.

Pour the cereal onto a plate in a pile.

Press the glue side of the pinata down into the cereal pattern. Press cereal along the sides of the pinata.

Turn the pinata over and press more cereal on top of the glue. Allow to dry one hour.

Shake the excess cereal from the pinata. If there are spots of the cereal box showing through, add more glue and cereal to cover. Repeat the drying process.

Repeat with the back of the pinata, applying glue and cereal to cover. You can also cute fringe from tissue paper to decorate the piñata if you don't want to use cereal. Click here to learn how to cut tissue paper fringe and see another DIY party favor idea with Fruity Pebbles cereal.

Next, don't forget to grab your printable pinata pattern before you go! CLICK HERE to download it.

For more fun Craft Ideas with Pebbles Cereals, visit the websites:

• Pebbles Cereal Craft Ideas
• Join the #YabbaDabbaDoo Craft Challenge!

Pebbles cereal wants to inspire kids to start learning! Visit Pebbles cereal new website, “Yabba Dabba Doo’ something:  a collection of DOO’s“.

What are your family's Mexican Independence Day traditions? Are you going to make these fun Fruity Pebbles Confetti Poppers party favors? Let me know in the comments below!

THE FLINTSTONES and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera. (s18)

PIN this Creative Pinata idea!