An alien planet piñata is perfect for an outer space themed party. It’s easy to make because it’s just one round punch ball, and the decorations after that are up to you.
Northern hemisphere: Business as usual
Southern hemisphere: Watch out for marsupial poop!
On this alien planet the rings were a big flat doughnut made from poster board. I lowered the doughnut onto the planet from above and pressed it into place. It was tight enough that it stayed there with no glue or tape.
This piñata was made on a whim using leftover crepe paper from the Medusa piñata. It’s supposed to be a green planet with wispy orange and white clouds. I’ll let you be the judge of how successful it was.
My second alien planet piñata was a little more elaborate, with three-dimensional rings and clouds made of cotton.
The rings were made from foam pipe insulation. To attach the ends I cut a toilet paper tube lengthwise, rolled it smaller, and stuck it halfway into one end. Then I slid the other end of the pipe insulation on and used masking tape to hold the ends together.
I painted the rings white because I was afraid that the original dark gray background of the insulation might darken the pink and green crepe paper, and I wanted the rings to be nice and bright. I don’t know if painting the rings made any difference or not. Probably not.
I spray painted the planet blue for no good reason. You can see the newsprint showing through the blue paint – this is why I use a stain-blocking primer first if I’m planning to paint a piñata.
To make the clouds I pulled the cotton balls apart a little, then dusted them with pink spray paint, and then pulled them apart some more. The clouds were laid on the planet and pressed gently into place, and they stayed there with no glue.
The rings were suspended by two pieces of fishing line that run over the north pole of the planet. The rings are offset like this on purpose, but if I wanted to make them concentric all I would have to do is adjust how they’re hanging, since they were not directly attached to the planet.
If you’re ready for a more advanced outer space piñata, check out the Alien piñata that’s photobombing this shot.
Or if you’re looking for another simple piñata that relies on decorating to make it special, take a look at the Demon Smiley or the Santa Smiley.
