Last week I had the chance to share some DIY Donut Decor ideas on a local lifestyle talk show, Studio 5. I shared some of those ideas in a 2-part series on my blog. You can catch those posts HERE and HERE. One of the show-stopping pieces in this party decor set is the giant donut piñata that I made. When I first decided to make it I was worried it would take too long and be too complicated, but I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was and with how quickly it came together. Didn’t it turn out cute?
You can see it here together with the entire Donut Party Set.
There’s a loop of string at the top for easy hanging at your party. And even though it’s large, it’s sturdy enough to hold plenty of candy and small toys for the kids at your celebration.
If you’d like to make one of these yourself, here’s what you’ll need:
- a 3×4 foot tri-fold cardboard presentation board
(I used white)
- duct tape
(I used white)
- a craft knife, box cutter, or sturdy scissors
- a pencil
- an 18-20 inch round party platter or other object for tracing
- a plastic cup for tracing
- crepe paper streamers
( I used white)
- double sided permanent craft tape
- one 12×12 sheet of scrapbook cardstock for frosting
- colored paper scraps for sprinkles (you could also use plain washi tape)
- a hole punch
- 6 inches of twine
Start by laying your party tray (or other circular object) down on the top of the center panel of the presentation board, leaving enough room in the center panel to trace another circle the same size. Trace around the tray two times, drawing out two circles.
Cut them out with a box cutter, a craft knife, or some utility scissors. If you use a box knife or craft knife, make sure to use a cutting mat underneath your presentation board. Now grab the plastic cup, place it in the center of both your cardboard circles, trace and cut out to make your donut center.
Make two cardboard strips by cutting off one of the side panels along the crease. Then cut that panel in half. Try to cut the lines as straight as you can so that your strips are evenly sized.
“Curl” your cardboard strips by folding over the corrugated sections so that they fit around the circles you cut. Start with one of the donut circles and tape the cardboard strip to it with duct tape. Be sure your pieces of tape are not too far apart so the candy won’t fall out.
Once you finish with one strip, you’ll need only a small section of the other strip. Cut it down to size, leaving about 2 inches to overlap, and then finish taping around the entire first donut circle. Cut the leftover cardboard strip so that it fits perfectly inside the center hole. Tape it to the inside of the first donut circle. It should look like the photo above. Punch two holes in the top and add a 6-inch loop of twine for hanging. Repeat the same taping process with the second donut circle to finish off the donut shape base of the piñata.
The two inch overlapping flap allows you to fill the piñata with candy after you decorate it. Once you add the candy and toys, you can tuck the flap inside.
Now make your “frosting” by free-hand cutting a 12×12 inch piece of scrapbook cardstock. Use the same plastic cup to trace and cut out the center of your paper frosting.
Next you’re going to cover the piñata with crepe paper fringe. Since crepe paper is slightly transparent, I recommend using the same color for your presentation board, your duct tape, and your crepe paper so you don’t have any contrasting colors showing through the crepe paper.
Measure a strip of crepe paper slightly longer than you need, tear it off, and then cut some fringe into it with your scissors leaving about 1/4 inch at the top for the tape. Since the piñata is so large, I cut approximately 3/4 inch fringe but you can make it whatever size you’d like.
Add some double sided tape to the top and stick it to your cardboard donut piñata. You can save yourself some time by only covering the parts of the piñata that will show around the frosting. Start layering your strips from the bottom and work your way up. It’s much easier than trying to fit a strip of crepe paper fringe underneath a piece you’ve already taped down. Overlap each strip by about 1/4 inch.
Once you’ve covered the piñata with crepe paper fringe, add the paper frosting to the front, and then cut some small strips of colored paper for sprinkles. Be sure to place them in random different directions so they look realistic.
Fill your Jumbo DIY Donut Piñata with candy and small toys for the party guests, hang it up, and let them swing away. It’s sure to be the highlight of your sweet celebration!
