Happy Hannukah, Happy New Year, and happy "augh when will the days start getting longer again" also

[melannen]

So next week I am going to my friend's big holiday party (this is basically the only actual, like, real grown-up party, with alcohol and stuff, I go to most years) and the theme this year is that everybody needs to bring a pinata.

I think she was assuming everybody would just buy one and fill it with candy; I think she underestimates her friends.

Anyway, I plan to make one that looks like this, a pokemon go gift:



I have stardust (small glitter tubes), coins (chocolate coins), eggs, and some pompom pokemon and pokeballs, plus a few actual pokemon toys to go in it, and I'm planning to get some candies as well. I may throw in some origami stars as revives too, if I can find directions for something close enough.

Now I just need to make the pinata! I have cardboard, tissue paper in the right colors, clear cellophane, a ribbon and a tag; I'm not going to mess with the LEDs; lots of masking tape, newspaper, string and glue. Now I just need to figure out the dimensions, and how to fasten the pieces together so it comes apart when whacked but not before.

I'm thinking make the top part as one piece and the base part as a separate piece, which would also let me load it upside down, and don't wrap the cellophane around the base, so that probably the base will come off first and spill everything out? But I'm not sure. (I also need to figure out the dimensions...)

But first I need to fold my laundry!

Comments

[highlander_ii]

I use this website (http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-stars.html) for lots of origami instructions. I can usually find something very close to what I want there. And the instructions are done well and easy to follow.

All the pinatas i've ever made were done with balloons and papier mache - which, messy... and also round. Good luck - sounds like fun. =)

[melannen]

Same here! But a pyramid shouldn't be too hard...

I think the pattern I need is an origami jackstone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voD7FpGv7tM which doesn't seem to have made it into most of the instructions but was semi-legendary in the PNW origami community for awhile? Most of the difficulty was figuring out what the shape was called... Anyway that tutorial looks within my skill so I will probably try at least one! But possibly too complicated to toss out a few dozen. :D

[highlander_ii]

That is a lot of steps after the initial crease pattern... That would be make maybe 2 or 3, unless it's way easier once you're folding.

Though, one origami tip i've seen from a professional origami folder - measure your paper to make sure it's exactly square. (Or cut your own exactly square.) It gives you better corners and creases.

I made this dood a couple times: http://www.tsg.ne.jp/TT/origami/characters.html#man_in_hood - the crease pattern is fine, collapsing it was complicated (but there's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwBP4cG3OTI). Ttly unrelated to your pokemon - just a cool pattern.

[melannen]

Yeah, all the steps are things I've done before, I'm just not sure if I've done any that has that many steps before. (Not for a long time, if I have!) I have a stash of precut origami paper, though, that I'm pretty sure is square, so hopefully!

I might even find the hood man harder because it's not as symmetrical! More *different* folds that way.

[highlander_ii]

With the hooded man one - once I understood where it was going, it clicked and I could make it work.

I've also done some Star Wars ones - and those are HARD... esp'ly with 6x6 paper. *shakes fist at x-wing fighter*

[melannen]

I've done x-wings! there's like fifteen different patterns floating around, though, I forget which one I did (it was probably a waterbomb base one, though, like the jackstone; I have that base down.)

[highlander_ii]

it's been a while since i've done them, so i don't remember the base - i just remember them being complicated. i did the Millennium Falcon a couple times too. I started working on an amazingly wonky Death Star that involved a LOT of folds, but i think my paper was too small and i couldn't get good creases. (also, making a round thing out of square paper is complex at best)

this is the professional origami guy i was talking about: https://langorigami.com/ - his crease patterns are super-complex and his paper shapes aren't always square, but his work is AMAZING.

[melannen]

I have not yet figured out how to work from just crease patterns! They are amazing but I need something that gives me instructions in order, at least until I've learned a thing well. I kept finding "make a stellated cube" pages that were just crease patterns before I found the older jackstone instructions.

[highlander_ii]

I can usually manage the folding part from the crease pattern. After that, I need a hint on how to collapse the thing into what it should look like.

[cesy]

This is such a cool idea.

[melannen]

I don't know if anyone else there will even know what it is, because most of them quit playing before gifts happened, but *I*'m enjoying it. :D

[dhampyresa]

That's a lovely idea!

[jesse_the_k]

Fabulous!

[cadenzamuse]

Oh man, I want an update on other people's themed piñatas once you go!