SURPRISE!! Today is a very special day. A dear blog friend, Lexy of The Proper Pinwheel, is expecting her first baby this October, and Brittni and I wanted to celebrate even though we couldn’t gather in person. We organized a virtual baby shower and invited several of Lexy’s blogging friends to contribute projects and recipes. In honor of Lexy and her soon-to-arrive little lady, I made a giant donut piñata. Lexy and I share a serious sweet tooth and a love of donuts, so a donut piñata felt like the perfect tribute. Here’s how to make your own.
Supplies
Cardboard
Crepe paper (one color for the donut base, one for the frosting, plus several colors for sprinkles)
Masking or kraft tape
White craft glue or double-sided tape
Twine
Scissors
Begin by cutting the donut shape from cardboard. Trace a large circle for the outer edge and a smaller circle for the center hole—my outer diameter was about 30″ and the inner about 8″. Cut two identical donut-shaped pieces for the front and back. Next, cut several 6″ (or wider) strips of cardboard for the side walls. To assemble, bend a side strip to follow the curve of the inner circle and tape it in place along the edge. I find it helpful to pre-bend the strips so they follow the curve more easily.
Repeat the same process for the outer circle, bending and taping the side strip so it forms the outer ring. If you want to refill the piñata later, leave a section of the outer strip untaped to create a flap. Add twine for hanging by poking a hole near the top and threading it through—this is easier to do before you add the fringe and frosting.
Next, tape the second donut face on top to enclose the sides. Now cut a lot of fringe from crepe paper—thin strips cut into fringe will cover the entire piñata. For reference, I used two full sheets of fine crepe paper and a full roll of streamers to completely fringe this large donut.
To attach the fringe, start at the inner ring and work outward, wrapping and gluing or taping each layer. The inner circle will require more overlap because of the tighter curve; the outer edge will have less overlap. This step is simple but time-consuming—put on a movie and keep wrapping. When you reach the final layers, lift the already-applied fringe up to access the cardboard below and glue the last pieces neatly into place.
Now add the frosting. Cut an uneven circular piece of pink crepe paper large enough to cover the top of the donut, then cut a hole for the center. For a very large piñata you may need to make the frosting in two halves and join them on the surface. Adhesive options include white craft glue, a glue stick, or double-sided tape. White glue can leave visible marks while drying, so if you’re concerned use tape or glue stick, or disguise any glue spots with sprinkles.
Make sprinkles by cutting many small crepe paper rectangles in various colors. Attach them to the frosting using glue or double-sided tape in a scattered pattern until the donut looks delightfully sprinkled.
BAM! Giant. Donut. Piñata. The finished piñata is cheerful, oversized, and perfect for a celebration—especially one honoring a donut-loving mom-to-be.
All photos by Studio DIY
I had so much fun making this and hope it captures a bit of Lexy’s charm and our shared donut obsession. Please join me in wishing her all the best as she prepares for motherhood—she’s sweet, funny, energetic, and crafty, and she will be a wonderful mom.
To see the other baby shower projects created for Lexy’s virtual shower, check the list below for a trove of creative ideas. Imagine if this had been an in-person shower—what a party that would have been!
Kelly of Studio DIY // Brittni of Paper & Stitch // Chelsea of Lovely Indeed // Melanie of You Are My Fave // Ashley of Sugar & Cloth // Melissa of The Faux Martha // Erin of Art Social // Lauren of A Fabulous Fete // Jenny of Hank & Hunt
Hope you were quite surprised, Lexy!!