Mexican Flag Pinata

Supplies:

• 1 brown paper grocery bag
• Tissue paper in red, white and green
• Crepe paper streamers in red, green and white
• 24” green yarn
• Hole punch
• Stapler
• Newspaper or other lightweight filler
• Small trinkets and candies
• Scissors
• White glue

Directions:

1. Open the grocery bag and put treats and trinkets inside. Fill about ¼ full.
2. Fill remaining space with crumpled up newspaper. Leave a small amount of space at the top of the bag so it can be folded over and closed.
3. Fold top over and secure with staples.
4. Poke or punch a hole in the middle of the bag in the fold. Be sure it's low enough that the hole won't rip.
5. Cut strips of tissue paper (in each color) about 3” x 5”. The easiest way to do this is to cut a strip of tissue paper 5” wide the full length of the sheet. Next fold the tissue paper in half, cut. Hold those two together and fold both in half, cut. Repeat until you have rectangles that are approximately 3” x 5”.
6. Fringe the ends of the tissue paper by cutting slits about halfway up.
7. Starting at the bottom of the bag, glue the tissue paper onto the bag by the solid edge only, do not glue the fringe down. Start with red on the left, then white in the middle, and green on the right.
8. Repeat these steps, working your way upward toward the top of the bag.
9. Cover the right side of the bag with green and the left side of the bag with red. Repeat the process on the other side, lining up the colors so that they match the side colors (green will be at the left and red at the right).
10. Thread string or yarn through hole at the top and tie a knot.
11. Gently lay the bag on its side.
12. Cut 12 strips of crepe paper streamers (12 of each color) and glue to the bottom of the bag.
13. Set aside to dry completely.
14. Hang by your string and hit with a waffle bat or rolled up newspaper until it breaks.


Tips:
• Shop for Mexican candies to put in your pinata.
• Instead of crepe paper streamers, you can cut long thing strips of tissue paper.
• To reinforce your hanger, add a few staples through the yarn and the bag.