DIY Mini Christmas Tree Piñatas

Sometimes, pretty things are made to be broken. These little pinatas are lovely, and once you rip them to shreds, their insides are delish!

They're featured today on Confetti Pop as part of our Craftsmas series. Swing by, download the template, and get to making.

images: Todd Hafermann
candy: Candy Warehouse

Sweet Advice: What Desserts Do I Serve?

You you know I'm all over the interwebs connecting with you guys about all kinds of things. Today, I'm responding to one reader's question that I got on Facebook.

Keri said, "Hi Shauna, I'm a fan from Seattle. I'm doing a dessert table for a 1 yr old's party for about 20 people. I was trying to figure out how many types of dessert I should do and how many of each dessert. Can you recommend what desserts would make a well-rounded dessert table?"

Hi Keri, thanks for the question! I have some bad news, there's no right answer for this because your group of 20 is different from any other group of 20. But, I can give you a little help. Since this party will probably have a lot of kids in attendance, make the desserts small, easy to eat, and simple. This isn't the time for cheesecakes and pavlovas. Choose desserts that spark childhood nostalgia for the adult guests, and they'll also please the little ones. Cupcakes and cookies are timeless classics. If you want to add a sophisticated vibe that's still kid-friendly, consider macarons.

With kids, you want to be aware of any food no-nos. A 1 yr old shouldn't eat any dessert with raw honey. Also avoid choking hazards that might get in the wrong hands, like gum balls, popcorn, and hard candy. With any group, you want to be sensitive to people's allergies or dietary restrictions. A lot of kids have nut allergies, and older guests may be diabetic and need sugar free options.

As far as quantity goes, remember that some guests won't eat any dessert (crazy people), some will eat one or two items, and some people (sugar addicts like me) will eat one of everything. You don't need twenty of every treat. Instead, make sure the more common/popular items are represented in larger quantities than unconventional items/flavors.

image 1: Graphic + Glitz (photo by paper antler), image 2: Sweetly Surprised (photo by Emily Steffen)

DIY Pinata Cupcakes

Here's another great twist on traditional pinatas. These cupcakes from La Receta de la Felicidad via Rachel of Handmade Charlotte are adorable, and probably a lot less messy than a giant Dora the Explorer full of confetti and candy.

Simply add a chocolate dome to your cupcakes or brownies, and voila! You have a sweet little hiding spot for candy.

images via Handmade Charlotte

Sweet Idea: Cinco de Mayo Pinata Cookies

I really don't need a lot of excuses to demolish a cookie, but I'm thankful that this recipe by Sandra via SheKnows gives me a totally valid one anyway. Pinata-inspired Cinco de Mayo cookies are just brilliant. I mean, how clever are these things?

Need more in-depth tutelage? Check out the instructional video here.

DIY Number Pinata Tutorial

Let's face it, sometimes it's not really a party without pinatas. In the past, we talked about these unconventional pinatas and garlands, and I shared this DIY mini pinata tutorial with you. Well, perhaps you wanna go big. Really big. This tutorial for DIY number pinatas from Oh Happy Day is perfect for birthdays and anniversaries. And really, isn't it just the best way to present a trough-load of candy?

Check out Oh Happy Day for the step-by-step directions.

Decor Ideas: Confetti System

We've talked a lot about garlands, mini pinatas, and fringe but Confetti System has elevated show-stopping decor to an art form. Can't you just imagine some of these displays hovering about a variety of simple desserts?

And, if you go through all this trouble to create fabulous pinatas, you better have some equally amazing blindfolds right?

These glitzy pinatas and garlands turn kids classics into grown-up decor, don't you think?

DIY Mini Pinatas

This DIY project is one of my favorite yet. Nothing says "candy" quite like a pinata, and nothing says "cute" quite like tiny stuff. So, these DIY mini pinatas via Ruffled are the perfect storm of party favor greatness. Some balloons, papier mache, and tissue paper is really all you need to create this craft.

This project makes me want to create a Cinco de Mayo dessert table. Any kid would be thrilled to get their own tiny pinata, don't you think?