Smaug :: the fabric piñata

 I'm joining Nicole today on Keep Calm, Craft On, you can visit her here.

I give you Smaug, the fabric piñata, answering to the situation of not having were to brake a piñata in my house. First I must say that here in Mexico piñatas are great tradition and we don't see it as an act of violence, it's just tradition, I understand to some of you may not feel very comfortable about beating and breaking an animal figure, maybe this option could be good for you too, even when it was not why I did it. I really didn't have were to hang it and my floor is wood so I was afraid that it could be damaged, or for an accident with the hitting pole, so I developed this.

I decided to make a dragon with a zipper, and two loops on the back, thinking that a pair of adults on a chair could hang it high, and after the kids attack it with the q-tips arrows we can roll the zipper and all the candy and toys will fall.

I have been trying to develop a nice bag for the arrows and mini bow, and this is what I came up with, all the arrows outside hold by elastic and a little elastic to attach it to the risk. I'm not all convinced with this solution but I'm running out of time, because I had to move the day a week before because if not it would be the same day than the Fifa Cup Finale, and I know kids and parents would have their minds else were, so I still have 11 pouches to go along with many other things.

Here is a short explanation of how I did the piñata. I cut many stripes to make the dragon scales and then I sew them up, I wish I had had only yellow to cover it all, but this is the fabric I have available at the time, I just wish it does not looks too Chinese. This part was longer that I expect.

Then I add the pointy thing in the back (I don't know how to call it).

Then the zipper, I'm rally bad at this but I used a lot of pins and it end up fine. I used a jacket zipper because that was what I had on hand.

I closed the tail and got to work on the head. I wanted it to be a puppet too, so kids could play with it after.

I got the idea  to make a fire that can be secured with a snap, using chiffon fabric and burning the sides.

After that I filled it with candy, I must admit I went a little crazy this year. I used to be very healthy on this mater. my son's god mother used to compliant because I would only have raising and nuts on my prior piñatas, but I have some emotional process of feeling free to do as I want that lead me to this. I have been in not so healthy relation ship that was too controlling.

I also added some nice toys, jumping ropes, loteias (bingo), pickup sticks and monkey sets, little cute erasers, wrestlers, cup and plates sets, jumping ice cones, and those number mind games at the bottom, do you know them?, my mom would always include them at my parties, kind of a educative mathematical touch, I include that in the little bags of candy I'm giving at the end so they would not have the risk of breaking that I didn't had in mind but I could not fit all in the slim Smaug.

And that"s it, what are you working on?