For my highschool Spanish class I need to make a piñata. Currently I am making an owl and have everything down except for the tissue paper part making the feathers. I am kind of confused on the difference between tissue paper and crepe and what you would recommend? I am using a fringing technique so what would be best for that? Thank you!
Answer from Piñata Boy
Tissue paper and crepe paper can both be used for decorating piñatas, and which one you choose is mostly a matter of personal preference. Many piñata-makers use tissue paper to decorate, and the piñatas you see in stores also use tissue paper. I use crepe paper mostly because that’s what I started with and I still find it easy and convenient.
Tissue paper is thinner and smoother than crepe paper, and is almost always sold in large sheets. The thin colored paper in a gift bag is tissue paper. Crepe paper is usually sold on rolls as streamers, but you can also buy it in sheets. Crepe paper is thicker than tissue paper and has more texture (it’s more wrinkly), and these qualities help the fringe to stay up better when it is snipped and fluffed the way I normally use it to decorate piñatas.
Once you have samples of tissue paper and crepe paper in front of you you’ll have a better idea of which one you prefer for your piñata. Any Wal-Mart or party store will have both, so you can decide before buying anything. You can also use other types of paper if you want to go for a different type of texture — brown paper grocery bags or any type of colored paper can be used in the same way as tissue paper or crepe paper to decorate a piñata. I like to experiment with different materials to get different textures on my piñatas, so feel free to explore other options, and don’t feel bound by the choice between tissue paper and crepe paper. But if those are your preference, just use whichever one you feel best provides the look you’re aiming for.
¡Buena suerte!