Well, I obviously didn’t read the instructions overly well and I laid 4 layers of newspaper on my punch balloon piñata all at once….definitely didn’t let it dry in between. It’s currently hanging in my basement. Will it actually dry or do I need to start over? Not very happy with myself at the moment (and yet I was once so proud). Thanks for the advice. I love the site!
Answer from Piñata Boy
Piñatas are very forgiving, and you’ll be okay. It’s best to put a fan blowing on it to help speed the drying. Set the fan back far enough that it blows on the entire side at one, no so close that it’s “spot drying” just a small area of surface, and either move the fan or turn the piñata every few hours to help it dry evenly. The surface will dry fairly quickly, but drying the layers underneath will take longer. While the underneath layers are still wet, the surface will be flexible — if you push in on it gently, it will feel almost like the punch ball is wrapped in thick cloth rather than papier mâché. As those underneath layers dry out the surface will become more resistant to pushing in, and will eventually harden into a shell.
I can’t say how long it will take to dry all the way through, but if you can move the fan around to help surface dry the whole thing, then leave the fan on it overnight, the half with the fan blowing on it should hopefully be dry most or all the way through by morning.
Sometimes the weight of the papier mâché can cause the wet newspaper to stretch out a little, so the papier mâché at the bottom of the piñata might be hanging a little loose from the punch ball. This should tighten up somewhat as it dries.
Good luck!