Would I use balloons for the head ?
Answer from Piñata Boy
I would make the head using pieces from a few different balloons. Basically, look at each of the shapes that make up his head and think of how it would be easiest to create that one part. Then make the parts and attach them all together to form the entire head.
For Arlo’s long snout, I would get a long balloon — not one of the really long, skinny ones for making balloon animals, but a fatter long balloon. You should be able to find a balloon like this in the packages at Party City. If you want to make an Arlo piñata where he has his mouth open, cut the dried papier mâché balloon the long way, then attach a piece of posterboard or thin cardboard to the open edge to form the roof of his mouth.
For the bump that makes up the top of Arlo’s head where his eyes are I would use another long, fat balloon, or perhaps a long skinny one that has been folded over and taped in place to hold the two halves together. Cover it in papier mâché, let it dry, and then cut off a piece the size you need.
The papier mâché pieces can be taped together with masking tape, and then cemented in place with a layer or two of papier mâché.
If you’re thinking of making a really big Arlo head piñata and you can’t find balloons that are big enough, you can try to create the shapes using other objects. For example, the bump on the top of his head is pretty close to the shape of one of those small, oval wastebaskets. Just turn the wastebasket upside down, round out the flat bottom with something, and then wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap to keep the papier mâché from sticking to it. Wrap it in newspaper, cover it with papier mâché, and you’ve got the top of the head. A lot of my piñata-making relies on improvisation using whatever materials I have available.
Good luck!