How to Make a Pokeball Pinata

This post contains an affiliate link 

Several years ago we had a Pokemon Party.  My son LOVED Pokemon, and had a lot to do with the planning.  At the time there were no new games coming out, no Pokemon Go apps taking the world by storm.  I could find very little Pokemon party supplies, so I had to get creative and make my own.  I decorated our fireplace mantel with homemade 

Pokeball Pinatas.  

I used round balloons and blew them up to the size pinata that I wanted. Since these were for decorations and not for breaking, I made them on the small side. I put each of the balloons in a plastic bowl to hold them while working on the paper mache layers. It helped keep the mess down, and prevented the balloons from rolling.  

It has been so many years since I made the paper mache paste, I can not remember exactly the recipe I used.  There are many different ways you can make the paste.  Pretty much most of them include a combination of flour and water.  Some recipes say to boil the mixture and then let cool, others you do not need to heat.  If you would prefer not to make it, and buy pre-made paste, I did find a few versions like this one on Amazon. 

Using the paper mache paste, I added several layers of newspaper strips until it was thick enough you could no longer feel the balloon.I also left the end of the balloon out, so I would have something to attach the string to.  The paper mache needs to harden before the next step, so allow to dry overnight if possible.  

Once the paper mache layers were dry, I painted the entire pinata white including the tied part.  I had to use a couple of coats to cover the newspaper.  

Once the white paint was dry, I painted the top half of the pinata red including the tie. You want the tie to be at the top of the pinata.  As best as I could, I painted a line of black paint around the center of the pinata where the red and white paint met.  The latch of the Pokeball was two circles cut from paper punches that were glued onto the pinata. It is now ready to hang and enjoy.  We kept these pinatas after the party. I am not 100% sure where they are now, but I could probably still find one in my son's room I tried.  

If you make a large Pokeball Pinata and want to add candy, cut a small flap (a 3 sided square)  in the upper back part of the pinata and fill. Cover the flap with a piece of tape if needed.