How to make a pinata

Last week, Jessi and Faith came to my house to make a bear pinata for Jeff's birthday. I provided the workspace and sweet tea and aprons and they descended upon it with crafts supplies and pizza.

And so we began the process of talking and crafting.

Step 1: Eat pizza. That's not pictured. Instead, here's a picture of Jessi with her special friend.

Step 2: Get yourself psyched up. This is how Jessi works.
Step 3: Rip up a bunch of newspapers.
Step 4: Blow a balloon.

Step 5: Write a special message.

Step 6: Document everything.
Step 7: Make paste.
Step 8: Dip those strips of newspapers in the paste and cover the balloon. We kept the balloon in place by situating it in a sundae cup.

Step 9: Accelerate the drying process with a fan.
Step 10: Make more paste and wash hands and continue the Very Important Documentation Process.
Like this.
And this.
Step 11: Admire our fantastic aprons and sit around while we wait for the mache to dry some more.

And yes, that is my Christmas tree you see on the far right. It's June. Why would I take it down now?!
Step 12: Check the clock and realize it's really time to accelerate the drying process.
Step 13: Work on a smaller balloon for the bear's head.
Step 14: Faith and I covered the bigger balloon with sheets of brown tissue paper. Then we ripped up more paper into smaller pieces, pinched the ends, and dipped the ends in glue and affixed them to the body.
While Jessi worked on the head and face.
Ta da! Google eyes, velcro, felt, a button, some tissue paper = bear face.
I drew paws on some construction paper and Jessi cut them out.
Step.....several dozen: we try to figure out how to turn 2 balloons into a pinata that resembles a teddy bear/where the parts will be stored/who will do what, etc.

It's not quite as intense as it looks in this picture.
Step Birthday: Faith superglued the head into a hole she'd cut in the top of the big balloon (body) and glued the paws to the front (I'm still sad we didn't have time to make a tail. Bear tails crack me up).

Then Jeff was surprised and ecstatic with his surprise:

And that! is how you make a pinata.