DIY Pinata with Cricut for Valentine's Day

Let's Get Crafty: DIY Mini Piñata Fun with Your Cricut for Valentine's Day!

Kelsey, a crafter and owner of DinosaurMama holding a DIY pinata shaped like a heart for valentine's day. A paper craft project cut on a cricut or silhouette machine.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to spread love and joy than with a handmade touch? In this DIY tutorial, I'll guide you through creating a charming mini pinata using your trusty Cricut machine.

Whether you're a crafting enthusiast or a beginner, this project is perfect for adding a personalized and festive flair to your celebrations. Get ready to dip into the world of DIY pinatas with Cricut, and don't forget to snag your free SVG download for an extra dose of creativity!

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Download the Free DIY Pinata SVG for Valentine's Day

To start, make sure you have your Cricut machine ready to roll and download my exclusive mini heart piñata SVG file under the community SVG files here. You can learn how to download here for desktop and here for iPad/iPhone. Please remember to sign up for my newsletter below to grab the password to the vault. Once you've got everything in place, let's embark on a whimsical journey of paper crafting.

Materials and Tools Needed for a Mini Pinata DIY

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A Cricut machine or similar - I am using my maker and a 12x12 mat to cut everything out
Cardstock - I am using 65 lb cardstock in pastels, but I always love to leave colors up to you.
Ribbon - I suggest something about 3/8th of an inch to 3/4th of an inch wide
Craft glue - I am using Bearly Arts
Hot Glue gun and sticks
Tweezers - optional for helping place small pieces
Stuff to fill up your pinata - think candy and glitter or confetti!!!

Cricut Design Space Pinata Set Up

Cricut design space set up of a DIY paper pinata shaped like a heart for Valentine's Day.

This file is simple to set up, the writing to make it into a conversation heart is up to you! For the writing I actually used the free Cricut font, Cricut Sans. On mine it is the default font. You can add whatever text you would like, just size it to fit into one of the heart panels.

Ungroup the whole file and change the lines on the rectangle pieces to score lines or perforation lines depending on what tool you have. If you don't have the tools, then just hide or delete these. Make sure to attach them to the rectangles with the paper clip attach button.

Resize depending on your paper size and want for the project, I went with around a 5 inch heart (11 inches wide total)- these are a great size for class cards/handouts for your kids.

I cut everything out on the medium cardstock setting on fast mode, learn more about my Cricut tips and tricks here.

DIY Pinata Assembly Instructions

Step 1: Glue on Your Letters to the DIY Pinata

This can technically be done at any point, I did it first on mine just so the little pieces were glued and out of the way! I used my craft glue for this and eye balled everything to give it that extra crafty look. You could even have your kids help you out with this or have them hand write on the hearts.

Step 2: Side Piece One

Folding in the side tabs for a DIY pinata to make a 3D paper craft project for Valentine's Day.

Fold in on the tabs and then cut a strip of ribbon longer than the one side. Using hot glue, attach the ribbon the full length of the side with some hanging off the edge that is flat (no tab). This is your pull string to hang out the point of the heart. I cut mine at the end to give it a fish tail shape.

Laying out ribbon for a DIY paper pinata.

Glue this side with craft glue a few tabs at a time, allowing the tabs to dry. The hang of the ribbon should be at the point of the bottom of the heart. Work your way around the curve of the heart.

Gluing down the sides of a DIY paper pinata.

Step 3: Side Piece Two

Grab another smaller piece of ribbon (about 4-5 inches) and fold in half, glue together to create a loop. Then attach this to the other side piece on the flat edge side. Have the loop hang off the edge.

Adding a hanging ribbon to a DIY paper pinata made on a cricut.

Glue this side down to the other side of the heart in the same way, a few tabs at a time. This time the looped ribbon should be at the top of the heart in the middle as a way to "hang" the pinata. Glue the flap of the side piece to the other side at the top but not at the bottom.

Gluing the sides down to a DIY paper pinata for Valentine's Day.

Step Four: Fill Up Your DIY Pinata

Filling a DIY Pinata Valentine's Day Craft with candy.

I used some smaller candies and glitter to fill up my pinata - remember to not over fill or make it too, too heavy. At the end of the day it's just paper. You could also fill this with a little coloring book and a few crayons. Everything will depend on the size you made your pinata and the weight of the paper using to create it.

Step Five: Glue Down the Top Piece

Gluing the corner of the DIY Paper Pinata for Valentine's Day.

Use the same technique as before, gluing a few tabs at a time. I made sure to glue the point at the bottom well. You want to keep the side pieces pushed in as well as possible for both aesthetic and for it to be extra secure. Allow it to dry well before picking up.

Gluing the top onto a DIY Pinata made on a Cricut.

To release the pinata, you pull the tab up and rip the side. You could add a little tag that says pull me or even rip me along the side piece of the DIY pinata.

Ripping open the DIY paper pinata for Valentine's Day.

As you wrap up this DIY adventure, your Valentine's Day celebrations are sure to be filled with laughter and excitement. Crafting your mini pinata with Cricut not only adds a unique touch to your festivities but also creates lasting memories for you and your loved ones. Remember, the joy of handmade creations is in the love and effort poured into them. So, gather your supplies, fire up your Cricut, and let the crafting magic begin. Happy crafting, and may your Valentine's Day be as special as the mini pinatas you've created! Download your free SVG now to kickstart your DIY journey. Cheers to a heartwarming and crafty Valentine's Day!