Creating A Wedding Cake Piñata: Step-By-Step Guide

A wedding cake piñata is a fun and colourful addition to any wedding, bachelorette party, or bridal shower. It can be used as a centrepiece decoration for a food table or filled with candy and toys to play the traditional party game. Making a wedding cake piñata requires some time and effort, but the result is definitely worth it. To make a wedding cake piñata, you will need materials such as coloured crepe paper, a glue gun, cardboard circles in different sizes, and a strong rope or zip tie. The process involves cutting and stacking the cardboard circles, creating a hole for filling candy, assembling the walls of the cake using cardboard panels, and decorating it with crepe paper fringes and flowers. The final product is a beautiful and unique piñata that will surely be a highlight of the celebration.

Cutting and gluing the cardboard layers

To make a wedding cake piñata, you'll need cardboard, a pencil, a box cutter or scissors, and tape.

Start by cutting four circles from your cardboard: one small, one medium, and two large (exact same size). Trace your circles using three bowls in different sizes. The measurements don’t have to be exact as long as the three circles graduate about the same amount from one size to the next. Once your circles are cut out, stack your small, medium, and one large circle on top of each other. Using your pencil, trace the small circle onto the medium circle and the medium circle onto the large circle.

Cut out a round hole in the medium and large cardboard circles, making sure to leave at least 1/2" of space from the pencil circle all the way around. These holes will allow you to put candy in your piñata from the top and let it fall into the bottom. Next, cut the flaps off your box and use the center panels to be the walls of your cake. If your box is too tall, trim the panels to be about 10" tall. Curve the panels into a circle, taping the bottom edge to the large circle without a hole as you go, and finish by taping together the seam of the panel.

Repeat the process with your middle tier, taping a wide panel of cardboard to the medium circle. Use lots of tape to attach the middle tier to the bottom tier.

Next, bend a smaller panel into a small, wide tube shape and tape the seam shut. This will be your top tier. Use lots of tape to attach the top tier to the middle tier, leaving the top open for candy.

Before you tape the small circle to close up the top, you’ll want to add a rope or zip tie to it in order to hang your piñata. You can do this by pokeing two holes into the small circle and then tying the rope or fastening the zip tie through those holes, creating a loop. The closer the loop is to the cardboard circle (i.e. not having too much slack), the sturdier the piñata will be when it’s hung. Also, make sure the holes aren’t too close to each other so they don’t tear and become one large hole under the weight of the piñata. Now, go ahead and tape on the small circle very securely.

Making the holes for filling and attaching the tiers

Start by cutting out circles from cardboard in four different sizes: small, medium, and two large circles of the exact same size. You can use bowls of varying sizes to trace the circles, ensuring a gradual increase in size from small to large. Once you have your circles, stack the small, medium, and one large circle on top of each other. Using a pencil, trace the small circle onto the medium circle and the medium circle onto the large circle.

The next step is to cut out holes in the medium and large cardboard circles. Leave at least a 1/2-inch border around the pencil lines to ensure the structural integrity of the piñata. These holes will serve as the filling points for candy and other treats. Cut the flaps off the cardboard box and use the centre panels as the walls of your cake tier. If the panels are too tall, trim them down to the desired height, typically around 10 inches.

Curve the panels into a circular shape and begin taping the bottom edge to the large circle without a hole. Continue taping until you've formed a cylinder. This will be the bottom tier of your piñata cake. Now, tape the large circle with the hole to the top of this bottom tier.

Repeat the process for the middle tier. Tape a wide panel of cardboard to the medium circle, ensuring it aligns with the hole. Use a generous amount of tape to securely attach the middle tier to the bottom tier.

For the top tier, bend a smaller panel into a small, wide tube shape and tape the seam shut. Again, use plenty of tape to attach the top tier to the middle tier, leaving the top open for filling.

Now that you have your three tiers, it's time to decorate and fill them with treats! Follow the steps outlined in the previous sections to cover the tiers with crepe paper fringes and flowers. Once you're happy with the appearance of your piñata cake, it's time to fill it.

Start by filling the top tier with candy and small favours. Then, carefully place the middle tier on top, ensuring it is securely attached. Fill the middle tier, and then repeat the process with the bottom tier. Remember to use plenty of tape to ensure the tiers don't detach when filled.

Finally, before closing up the top, add a rope or zip tie to the small circle at the very top. Poke two holes in the cardboard, then tie the rope or fasten the zip tie through these holes to create a hanging loop. Ensure the loop is close to the cardboard to provide extra support for the piñata when it's hung. Secure the small circle very tightly with tape, and your wedding cake piñata is ready!

Creating the fringed crepe paper layers

Once you have a good stock of strips, glue a large sheet of crepe paper to the bottom of the cake. Then, starting from the bottom, begin gluing layer by layer of fringe. Be sure to glue layer by layer, gradually building up the fringed layers. This part of the process is likely to take several hours, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time.

Gluing the edges and corners is the most challenging part. To help navigate the curves, cut your strips into shorter pieces. You can also cut small notches in the non-fringed portion of the strips and glue them on top of each other to prevent puckering. If you are still having issues, simply add more layers to cover any imperfections.

Adding the finishing touches and decorations

Once you've added the candy and party favours to your wedding cake piñata, it's time to add the finishing touches and decorations.

First, you'll want to add a rope or zip tie to the top of the piñata so you can hang it up. Poke two holes in the small circle at the top and thread the rope or zip tie through, creating a loop. The closer the loop is to the cardboard, the sturdier the piñata will be. Now, tape the small circle securely to the top of the piñata.

Next, cover the top with solid sheets of white crepe paper. You may want to add a couple of layers for a clean finish. Then, add any final fringe layers to the sides of the top tier.

Finally, it's time to add the crepe paper flowers. Cut 6-inch squares from your tissue paper, using three shades of pink and one shade of orange. Layer five squares on top of each other and fold them accordion-style. Staple the centre a few times, then use scissors to round the edges of the accordion strips to create gorgeous petals. Gently peel back each layer to form a flower. Now, plan your design and use a glue gun to stick the flowers onto your piñata. You can also add little green crepe paper leaves in between the flowers for extra decoration.

Filling with treats and hanging the piñata

Once you've assembled your wedding cake piñata, it's time to fill it with treats and hang it up! Here's a step-by-step guide:

• Gather your treats: This can include candy, small toys, glow sticks, sunglasses, confetti poppers, stick-on moustaches, bubbles, and other party favours. Avoid chocolate or any treats that can melt easily.
• Prepare the piñata: Press down on the round sticker that reads "TO OPEN PRESS HERE" to create an opening. If you have trouble, cut a U-shaped opening using a cutter or scissors.
• Fill the piñata: Lift the lid and fill the opening with your chosen treats and party favours. Once filled, secure the lid back in place with tape.
• Prepare the hanging area: Decide where you want to hang the piñata. This could be from a tree branch, a basketball hoop, or between two adults holding each end of the rope.
• Hang the piñata: Use a strong rope or zip tie to hang the piñata from the designated spot. Ensure the rope or zip tie is securely attached to the piñata and that the hanging mechanism is strong enough to bear the weight.
• Blindfold the players: Line up the players, starting with the smallest and ending with the tallest. Blindfold the first player, spin them around a few times, and provide them with a buster stick (a stick used to hit the piñata).
• Maintain a safe distance: Keep all other players at least 15 feet away from the hitter. When the piñata breaks open, take the buster stick away before allowing others to grab the goodies.
• Take turns: Allow each child to hit the piñata a few times before moving on to the next player.
• Make it fun: Swing the piñata up and down, and deliberately misdirect the hitter by telling them the piñata is up when it's down, and vice versa.

Your wedding cake piñata is now ready for guests to enjoy!

Frequently asked questions