reindeer.

Real talk – Santa scares me, but the reindeer are cool. Here’s a reindeer piñata idea for your Christmas celebrations. How cute would it be to create one for each of Santa’s reindeer?

You will need:

Cardboard
Crepe streamers in reindeer colors (brown, creme, black, white)
Paper in browns, black, and white
Glue stick
Scissors
Pencil
Paper scissors
Masking tape or similar

I used my burro template and reindeer-ified it with antlers and spots. Cut out two reindeer shapes plus strips of cardboard 2 inches in width for the perimeter. Make sure you can bend the cardboard into curvy shapes (corrugation should run across the 2 inch width).

Decide where you want to place the piñata opening and start wrapping one of the shapes with the cardboard strips above the flap. Use tape to attach strips to shapes. Continue to work around the piñata until you reach the flap opening. Attach the second shape to the opposite side. Since we’re not popping this piñata open, I used packing tape to make it extra secure. Add more tape as necessary for reinforcement.

Cut lots and lots of fringe. To begin covering your piñata, work one side at a time. First, add a non-fringed piece to the bottom. Add two layers if you can still see through to the cardboard. Begin adding fringe, one layer at a time. You can overlap as you see fit and change colors whenever you like. Once you finish one side, trim the overhang, then repeat the process on the opposite side. Do the same for perimeter.

For any spot that is on the underside (e.g., the chin), you may consider only adding non-fringed paper since it will lay flat.

For the chest tuft I layered fringe directly onto the reindeer chest. For the tuft of fur on the snout, I layered fringe, cut out a triangular shape, and glued the triangle fringe onto the reindeer.

Now to accessorize! Cut eyes out of paper. I added additional white circles for a cutesy look, plus eyelashes (curl them for a 3D effect). Glue eyes onto the reindeer.

Cut ears in a leaf shape with a flap for attaching. Cut antlers and a tail, again with a flap for attaching. Glue ears, antlers, and tail onto the reindeer, and reinforce with tape. Cover taped areas with more crepe paper fringe.