"Rocky" Homemade Paniata was a "Hit of Fun"

This weekend we had family at the cottage for the July 1st and July 4th celebrations.  I want to share the paniata I made for the children.

I started making it on Sunday night blowing up a large balloon...

Then I made paper mache with 2 to 1 parts of flour to water, stirred that up and slipped torn pieces of newspaper through the mache and on to the balloon.  I made 5  layers adding one good layer each in the morning and after work for the next 3 days.  This allows the paper mache to dry up in between layers.  I had it sitting on a large metal bowl and periodically I would turn the paniata so that part could dry.

On the last night I cut up little pieces of yellow tissue paper, scrunched it and applied to the birdie with modge podge.  It resembled his little feathers.  I painted the bottom third with acrylic folk art paints.

This is how I filed in the "featherlike down" with tissue paper.

I made his beak with 2 separate pieces of yellow cardstock, folded and glued in place. 

The cardstock made round yellow eyes which I drew in with a brown sharpie pen.  His little wings were also of cardstock. I poked a hole on either side about 2" from the top for the string to help tie it.

 We filled him up with party favour toys and candies scrunching additional tissue papers between layers so the candy wouldn't fall to the bottom only.  It makes it fun for gathering goodies later on.  I glued tissue paper across the top to close the hole.

 Marc named it "Rocky" because the cottage is on Rockledge.  Here he sits proudly on the table at the lake.

After we had finished our picnic we hung him up from a rope that was strung over a branch in a tree and held in place by an adult.  That way it could be adjusted to the height of the child.

 We started from the smallest child....

 Here Madeline gives it a try.  Although she did give it a hard wack or two it wouldn't break yet.

It took the very last and biggest boy to break through and then there was scurrying by the children as they gathered up the goodies.

 Austin decided to try Rocky on for size...

Our weekend celebrations for Canada's July 1st and the July 4th for the States was a lot of fun.
How are you celebrating this weekend?  Judi xoxo