photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-19-LQ_zpsnupkkvdn.jpg

I made a unicorn piñata! You thought I was kidding with my unicorn farm, didn’t you? But no, for a couple of days I was the proud owner of a unicorn. Until my boyfriend killed it (sad face). In his defense, it was my idea.

Besides our edible nacho hat, photo booth, vodka gummy bears and garden twister, a unicorn piñata just seemed like the perfect addition to all the madness at our birthday party. I even have a video of it, so for all of you curious readers who want to get a glimpse of our party atmosphere and see a unicorn die (does that make me a bad unicorn famer?), here is a short fragment (I cut out a few beatings because it took a while and I know your attention span).


And here comes the fun part: you can make one too!

Here is how I made my unicorn piñata

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-1-LQ_zpsoox3gjnr.jpg
I used an old shoebox as the body of my unicorn. This choice ended up mading the little guy quite sturdy and hard to break, but I would probably do it again as it is somewhat faster (fast is relative because this project does take quite some time to make). I found a rectangular cardboard tunnel that I used as a neck. Make cuts in the lid of your shoebox and in your neck tunnel so they fit together.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-2-LQ_zpssfx8ktsh.jpg
Make cuts at the top of the corners of your box and fold the cardboard to the inside, so the box gets a somewhat rounded shape. Fasten the corners with duct tape.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-3-LQ_zps6xvxqnob.jpgCut the corners of the lid. Fold the edges until they get rounded as well and tape everything together. You will notice I use mainly duct tape in this tutorial, because I find it a fast and easy way to make things stick together. It is probably best if you don’t cover your whole unicorn in duct tape though, because then it will never break. I did consider using paper mache, but that just seemed to be a lot extra work for little effect.

Your piñata will need to hang on a rope, so it will need some holes in its body for this purpose. It would be wise to do that at this point and put a cord through the holes, as it will become hard to do this later on. My idea was to apply a thin cord and replace it later by a thicker one (by tying them together and pulling the thicker one through the hole). However, my rope ended up breaking off so this part kind of failed for me and I ended up tying the piñata on the outside instead. Learn from my mistake ;)

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-4-LQ_zps52whul7z.jpg
For the legs, simply cut out 4 pieces of cardboard. Roll them up and secure each roll with duct tape.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-5-LQ_zpsxyerzigx.jpg
If you make cuts at the top of the legs that fold out as ‘side flaps’, you can use them to tape the legs to the body of the unicorn.

 
 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-6-LQ_zpschw9ctqu.jpg
Make a head from a piece of cardboard. Just cut and fold until you get a general shape that you are content with. As you can see my process is kind of messy. You need to remember that the basic form will be covered later on, so it isn’t a big deal if it looks bad at this point.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-7-LQ_zps6lqalm6p.jpg
Although my first idea was to put the candy inside using the neck tunnel, I thought it would be easier to make a little door in the belly of the unicorn after all.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-8-LQ_zpss3g6bquz.jpgYou can use a similar paper for the hooves as for the horn, preferably something shiny. I would recommend gold, silver or glitter. Just use your paper to close the openings of the legs and then glue a strip around the bottom part.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-9-LQ_zpsiczskyhb.jpg
Use crêpe paper to make the fur of your unicorn. Use whatever colour you like. I had a limited choice in colour and went with a combination of blue and pink. If you bought a role of crêpe paper like I did, simply cut off a strip and cut the paper in on one side while it is still rolled up.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-10-LQ_zpsnyzqi8h9.jpg
Apply glue on the leg and start circling your crêpe paper around the legs, starting at the bottom and ending at the top.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-11-LQ_zpsalperpmg.jpg
Continue this process for its entire body, working layer over layer and starting at the lower layers. This is a time consuming process so be patient while you see your unicorn slowly evolve and grown into a real unicorn :)

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-12-LQ_zpspfwgob0c.jpg
Use a paper towel cardboard roll as base for your horn. Simply make a cut from the top to the bottom, roll it together again in a cone shape and secure it with tape. Cover the horn in gold coloured paper. Then make cuts at the bottom to be able to glue/tape your horn to the head of the unicorn.

 
 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-13-LQ_zpshasmi3w1.jpg
For the tail you cut the crepe paper in a similar way but simply use a longer strip so the ‘hairs’ will be longer. At one side, roll and tape the ‘hair’ together. Make a hole in the cardboard through which you stick the taped part and secure the tail from the inside. Although I applied the manes of the unicorn after the blue fur, it would have probably been easier the other way around. If you want you can add some fun details like a golden bow in the tail.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-14-LQ_zpsuhck6ffb.jpg
Draw two eyes on a piece of paper with a black marker and cut them out. Simply glue them on your unicorn’s head over its blue fur.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-15-LQ_zpss8altjgq.jpg
Make ears by cutting out a piece of cardboard in a somewhat triangular shape. Cover the outside with crêpe paper and the inside with golden paper. Make cuts at the bottom and use a glue gun to glue the ears to your unicorn’s head. Again, it would be better to do this before its entire head is covered in fur, so the ears stick to the hard cardboard in stead of the loose crêpe paper fur.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-16-LQ_zpsmsvcbqlw.jpg
Of course a piñata wouldn’t be a piñata if there wasn’t a fun surprise inside. You can fill your unicorn piñata with whatever you wish. If you do fill your piñata with candy, I would recommend candy that is covered in plastic, so when it falls out it is still edible. Using skittles (rainbows!) just seemed appropriate for a unicorn. I also added some confetti.

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-17-LQ_zpsotkycvzq.jpg
Put everything inside and glue a thin piece of cardboard or thick piece of paper over the door. Add some extra tape if needed, but don’t make it too strong or otherwise the piñata will never break. (I cut out a little hole to make an emergency opening just in case, which I didn’t need).

 photo DIY-unicorn-pinata-18-LQ_zpsvff9wthe.jpg
When the glue to close the lid has dried properly, apply the last layers of crêpe paper fur over its belly.

Happy unicorn making!

 photo how-to-make-a-unicorn-pinata_zps9kcwercc.jpg
 

 

39 Comments

  • Reply

    uncustomary

    August 30, 2013 at 17:02

    This is incredible. Thanks for the tutorial! You did a great job.

  • Reply

    Jennifer - The Deliberate Mom

    August 30, 2013 at 21:33

    WOW! This is simply amazing! Fantastic work! It’s almost sad it had to get destroyed.

    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    xoxo

  • Reply

    Isabelle Krake

    August 31, 2013 at 03:12

    That’s fantastic!
    Love the gold accents :)
    It was kind of sad to see it die :*( with just the few days that it lived ;) and basically that it was just so cute!

    ~ i s a b e l l e

  • Reply

    Crissy Candypow

    September 1, 2013 at 01:41

    This is SO cool. I am definitely bookmarking this… now I just need a birthday to come up to make it! >:)

  • Reply

    floating thru fields

    September 1, 2013 at 23:12

    this is so awesome you are so creative and resourceful looks adorable and ready to party :)

  • Reply

    Sunny

    September 3, 2013 at 16:05

    Too Creative!!! AMAZING

  • Reply

    Nerd Burger

    September 4, 2013 at 12:31

    How in gods name did you come up with that? You are one of the most crafty ladies I’ve ever known. PS: Unicorns are rad

  • Reply

    Rachel Weaver

    September 4, 2013 at 15:17

    i am trying to plan a just for fun sleep over for my kids and i plan on stealing like all your ideas. so wonderful.

  • Reply

    Floweb

    November 10, 2013 at 08:28

    Hello, I found your post by chance, looking for a tutorial to make a small unicorn (my daughter wants a “little pony unicorn” and I think they are ugly). Your pinata is wonderful and the pictures are very useful! Thanks for sharing. Floweb (Lausanne, Switzerland)

    • Reply

      admin

      November 14, 2013 at 13:30

      Thank you! I hope she has a wonderful birthday and I hope my tutorial will be of use ;)

  • Reply

    Leah Cooper

    December 16, 2013 at 10:17

    Hi, thanks for posting this step by step guide to making a unicorn pinata. I’ve just used your instructions to make one for my daughters 5th birthday party. I’ve made it a month in advance so I can enjoy looking at it before it gets bashed to bits by little people!
    Can’t wait!
    Leah

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      December 16, 2013 at 16:38

      That’s so good to hear! I hope she loves it and has the birthday she dreams of. But I bet it will be awesome, considering there will be a unicorn ;)

  • Reply

    http://www.struckbylightning.org

    May 20, 2014 at 15:17

    Hey are using WordPress for your blog platform?
    I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my
    own. Do you require any coding knowledge to make your own blog?
    Any help would be really appreciated!

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      May 21, 2014 at 12:56

      Yes I am. just used a regular template. I did a little extra coding but that isn’t necessary if you find a good template that appeals to you and needs to change.

  • Reply

    Laurinda

    May 22, 2014 at 02:23

    Howdy I am so grateful I found your blog, I really found you
    by error, while I was browsing on Yahoo for something else,
    Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say cheers for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the moment
    but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS
    feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the superb work.

  • Reply

    abby

    June 19, 2014 at 07:31

    i would really like to make this for my friends birthday so i canput her gifts inside but i caqnt figured out how to do the head

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      June 19, 2014 at 07:46

      Yes, the head was a bit tricky. You make kind of a cone shape, except the pointy part is cut off/in to become the flat part of his mouth. I made some cuts in the cardboard over the length/side of his head (not all the way through, but just to bend it over the fold) to guide the shape into main areas. That way the head gets divided into multiple flat areas, in stead of being a real cone. For the back of his head, I fumbled some newspaper balls together to get a rounded look and taped them together. Hope this helps!

      • Reply

        abby

        June 20, 2014 at 10:15

        That helped alot thanks for the replied. I also wanted to ask about step one and step two part of the picture. I realized that in the first picture the top of the cap is off and then in the second picture you some how managed to put it back on except it has a cardboard on it. I just thought that was a bit confusing. Although I am already done with the body of the unicorn pinata. :) I was just a bit curious.

        • Reply

          magicaldaydream

          June 24, 2014 at 15:39

          The brown cardboard is just an extra rectangle to make sure the rope wouldn’t cut through the single layer of cardboard. As for the rest, it is in the description under the picture

        • Reply

          Wow101

          July 1, 2014 at 15:41

          Hi This a really good way x

  • Reply

    Shani

    December 5, 2014 at 02:11

    Soooo coool!
    Could you tell me how long it took you to make this?
    I’m planning to make one for my cousins birthday :O

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      December 5, 2014 at 09:21

      Ehh, I honestly cannot remember very well. But a couple hours for sure. Probably somewhere between half a day and a day. So exciting that you’re doing to make it though, will you send me a picture if you do? I would love to see it!

  • Reply

    Julien

    March 13, 2015 at 16:18

    Good work and thank you to share it, so I made my own for my girl friend <3

  • Reply

    claire

    May 9, 2015 at 13:33

    heyy, i came across this post a year ago and i made the unicorn pinata then for a friend of mine, but this year another friend wants a ‘horsey’ for her birthday, so i’m making her a horsey pinata for her birthday, like the unicorn but then in brown and without the horn:)

    ~ c l a i r e

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      May 12, 2015 at 04:06

      Ohhh that’s amazing! Do you have a picture? I would love to see it! Good luck with the horse. I’m sure your friend will love it!

  • Reply

    Fu Xin

    October 26, 2015 at 15:06

    Hey,

    This is literary amazing!
    I’am going to make this for my friend.
    Beceause 5 December is Santa-Claus. (It’s a feast day in The Netherlands, we are almost the only people who got this feast day so probaly you don’t know what it is, but this is really amazing so I think I’am going to make this, it seems really difficult probaly because I’am Dutch and I don’t understand everything but I’am going to do my best).
    Thanks for this idea it’s amazing!

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      October 26, 2015 at 16:00

      Haha ik ben ook Nederlands hoor ;) Ik blog alleen in het Engels omdat dat me in staat stelt om met meer dan enkel Nederlanders (en Belgen) te communiceren ;)

      • Reply

        Fu Xin

        November 12, 2015 at 19:26

        Ohw haha! Erg leuk idee dat wel.
        Maar weet je ook ongeveer hoeveel blauwe crêpepapier je nodig hebt?
        Dat is namelijk wel handig om te weten omdat het volgens mij nog best duur is crêpepapier.
        Alvast bedankt voor het reageren!

        • Reply

          magicaldaydream

          November 13, 2015 at 10:41

          Ik dacht dat ik 2 of 3 van die blauwe rollen gekocht had, maar uiteindelijk niet alles nodig had. Ik heb ze bij de Action gehaald, en daar was het misschien 1 euro nog wat per rol/pakketje. Weet niet of ze dat nog steeds verkopen daar, maar zo wel ben je dus voor 2 a 3 euro wel klaar. Helpt dat? Succes in ieder geval!

      • Reply

        Fu Xin

        November 12, 2015 at 20:26

        Ohw haha.
        Maar weet je ook hoeveel crêpepapier je nodig hebt voor de eenhoorn.
        Alleen het blauwe dus voor het lichaam niet de staart en de manen.
        Alvast bedankt voor het reageren!

  • Reply

    Bress

    November 23, 2015 at 18:56

    Super leuk was het dit jaar ze vond het geweldig en ik ook om te maken ik heb 3 rollen cretpapaier gekocht voor 2 euro precies genoeg maar ik had soms fouten gemaakt dus als je het goed doet hou je nog wat over.

  • Reply

    Bress

    November 23, 2015 at 18:56

    Super leuk

  • Reply

    Lucy Spink

    October 17, 2016 at 07:25

    Thank you so much for this tutorial. Your instructions are perfect.
    I made this for my daughters birthday party this weekend

  • Reply

    Lucy Spink

    October 17, 2016 at 07:36

    would love to post my pic for you to see but can’t seem to attach it?

    • Reply

      magicaldaydream

      October 17, 2016 at 08:50

      So happy to hear that the tutorial helped you. I hope your daughter loved it :) Yes, I think attaching the picture is not possible.. Perhaps via Facebook or email (marielle [at] magicaldaydream (dot) com )? Would love to see how your piñata turned out!

  • Reply

    Emily Carroll

    October 9, 2020 at 22:20

    How how do you make pinata?

LEAVE A REPLY

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.