What would be the best way to make a 3D beehive like the one you can hit in the game Animal Crossing New Leaf? It is basically like half lemon shaped with hive ridges around the shape and hexagon-shaped openings on the flat bottom (I was thinking to cut and shape tp rolls and attach to the bottom, but I’m not sure the best materials for the actual hive structure.
Thank you!!
Answer from Piñata Boy
What a great idea for a piñata!
If I were making a beehive like this, I would probably start with seven small balloons. Normally I wrap the balloons in newspaper before applying layers of papier mâché because I can use fewer layers of papier mâché and the balloons are less likely to pop when the papier mâché is drying, but one drawback of wrapping the balloons in newspaper is that the shape gets a little bumpy and you also lose some of the fine detail. In this case you want to see the valleys between the balloons, so I would try using masking tape to tape the seven small balloons in place to form the beehive shape, and then apply papier mâché directly onto the balloons, avoiding the masking tape. You don’t want to wrap the masking tape too tightly around the balloons because it will deform them if you do. You want just enough tension on the tape to hold the balloons in place. Once you have enough dried papier mâché on the balloons to hold them in place, you can cut away the masking tape and then finish applying papier mâché to the remaining exposed balloons. Don’t try to remove the masking tape from the balloons because the balloons are likely to pop if you do.
That will give you a general hive shape, and then it’s just a matter of cutting the hexagon shapes to apply to the bottom. I would probably cut and attach the hexagon base before applying the papier mâché, to make sure the balloons line up properly with the outer hexagons. The hexagons could be cut from any suitable material such as corrugated cardboard or foam board. If you attach the hexagon base before applying the papier mâché. I would probably make a base out of thin cardboard, then cut the hexagonal rings out of a thicker material, and attach the hexagonal rings to the base to give the base of the beehive some dimension, but still close up the bottom of the piñata.
Then I would add some buzzing bees on thin wires. For the Jack-o-Lantern piñata I made some Halloween craft decorations of ghosts, spiders, and witches, and attached them with tape and wire to the piñata. We removed the decorations before breaking it, and the kids got to take them home as souvenirs.
I keep saying “probably” because quite often I change my plans in the middle of building a piñata when I discover a new material or when my plans aren’t turning out the way I imagined. You might try it this way and if it’s not working or you get a better idea, go with that — or if you have a better idea already, ignore my suggestion and do what works best for you! Piñatas are very forgiving, and there are lots of “correct” ways to make the same piñata.
Good luck!