Will the second layer collapse the shape when it is damp again?
It dried bumpy – recipe 2:1 water:flour. not a huge issue cause we will make it into a planet but how to avoid next time.
Dried in barn out of sun.
Answer from Piñata Boy
You’re right that if you try to put on a second layer of papier-mâché after the balloon has popped, the weight of the wet papier-mâché will collapse the shape. Normally with a roundish balloon you can insert an uninflated balloon into the thin papier-mâché shell left over from the first layer, then blow up the balloon to fit the shape of the shell, tie it off, and continue with the second layer from there.
From my experience the major factors that contribute to balloons popping during drying are placing it in direct sunlight and inflating the balloon to the maximum size. Keeping it indoors or in the shade, preferably with a fan blowing on it, will reduce the chances of the balloon popping, and so will not blowing up the balloon quite all the way. I also found that wrapping the balloon in newspaper before applying the papier-mâché reduces the likelihood of the balloon popping, but sometimes it’s still best to lay the papier-mâché strips directly onto the balloon when you need a smoother surface for the piñata.
Two other factors that play a role in balloon popping are the shape of the balloon (long, thin balloons are more prone to popping than are round balloons), and the quality of the balloon. We usually buy the least expensive balloons we can find, but sometimes less expensive means thinner latex, and that leads to more popped balloons.