I am making a poop emoji out of cardboard. I plan on taping it together with masking tape. Do I need to paper mache before I can decorate with crepe paper? Thanks!!
Answer from Piñata Boy
There are two main things you want to keep in mind when making a cardboard piñata and decorating right over the cardboard itself: 1) will the piñata hold its shape when it is filled with candy and is hanging from one point, and 2) will the piñata be breakable by your players?
Thin cardboard is so flexible that I usually cover it with a layer or two of papier mâché to stiffen it up and help the piñata hold its shape when the weight of the candy is added. But depending on your design and on how much support the masking tape provides, you might be able to decorate right over the cardboard itself, saving yourself the time and effort of the papier mâché. I would make the cardboard piñata and then fill it and hang it first. If it’s holding its shape, go ahead and decorate right over the cardboard.
If you do not cover it with papier mâché, your weak points will be where the pieces of cardboard are taped together, because the masking tape will tear more easily than the cardboard. So be certain that the joints are reinforced enough that the first hit doesn’t split the piñata wide open along a seam.
One of the drawbacks of using cardboard, especially if you use corrugated cardboard, is that it’s often difficult or impossible to break with a stick. If your piñata seems like it might be too tough for your players, you can weaken it by stabbing holes in it in certain places where you would like to see the breaking begin.
Good luck!