Handmade Challenge March Update

Another party done and dusted, and two more items ticked off my Handmade Challenge List for 2015!! Phew.

I'll start with item #2, the Love Heart Pinata. This was a HUGE success with the kids! I was actually very surprised. Although I shouldn't be, the party was made up of mainly boys from 1-4 years, who were happily lining up to bash something pretty with a stick! In the end, hubby (with Sophie's help) split it straight down the middle.

The finished Pinata

It was pretty easy to make, I ended up using an amalgamation of ideas rather than copying the original post I found.

1. I gaffer taped two balloons together to form a heart shape.

2. We then covered the balloons with strips of paper 
using homemade paper mache glue. All three kids helped (Sophie ripped the paper). I left a gap at the bottom, so I could later pop both balloons, remove and then fill.

Arthur giving it a good crack!

3. For the filling, I chose a whole lot of bright, sparkly and light things! Mainly stickers, some ribbons and cardboard hearts. I didn't want a large lolly falling out and clonking a toddler in the head. 

4. After the glue had dried, I punched two holes in either side of the top of the heart and threaded fishing line through to hang it from. Popped in the filling, patched up the hole, then covered the whole thing in post-it notes. I thought this step would be easy, but the post-it's wouldn't stick. So I ended up using good old clag glue.

I did all the stages over a number of days... weeks, so it wasn't too taxing, and being able to get the kids involved was good, so I'd probably do it again, mainly because the kids loved it so much on the day.

Cookies the night before!

The next item I can tick off is #10 Heart Cookies. I won't be bothered making these again in a hurry. The cookies themselves were very yummy. I was super excited when I was icing them as they were turning out so great, okay I wasn't going to win any awards, but I thought they looked pretty cool. Then, as it was about 11:30 at night, I boxed them all up to photograph the next day.

The next day... low and behold, the icing had bled and they looked nothing like they had the night before. I am quite sure that I didn't do enough research into royal icing and perhaps the recipe I used wasn't the right one or I should have used different colouring or more icing sugar. If I ever attempt again, I will look into it further.

Cookies the following day

However, the rules of the Handmade Challenge are clear, chose 12 items and make them. They don't have to be perfect, or even close to perfect! So please remember, that as long as you attempt, even if your stuffed cow ends up looking more like a stuffed goose, you've made it and you can cross it off!

How are you going with your Handmade Challenge? Have you had any disasters yet? Or perhaps triumphs?! Don't forget to share.