Piñata Filler!
August 20, 2015 1:12 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to fill a couple of pinatas, one for a wedding, one for a group of very outdoorsy people. Some candy is fine, but I want the majority of it to be a little more interesting. No alcohol or condoms. What are your thoughts?
Small packets of native plant seeds.
posted by cairnoflore at 1:24 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by cairnoflore at 1:24 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Thousands of plastic spiders.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:31 PM on August 20, 2015 [28 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:31 PM on August 20, 2015 [28 favorites]
Have a look in your local dollar, especially if they have a camping section. My local pound shop has a huge selection of cheap camping stuff at this time of year - little torches, etc.
posted by Solomon at 1:38 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by Solomon at 1:38 PM on August 20, 2015
My dollar store has tons of lightsticks, too, which have a million uses when camping. Little whistles or compasses or magnifying glasses on keychains would be fun. Space blankets! Travel-size toiletries and packs of baby wipes.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:41 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:41 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
To take some of these suggestions a bit further, fill pinata with strike anywhere matches and fireworks. Most interesting pinata ever.
The wedding pinata might be nice with some wedding favor type items. I've seen wedding favors meant to be interesting little items to take home that have something to do with the couple or the theme of the wedding, and many of these would work well in a pinata. Look on pinterest for wedding favor ideas.
Most REI stores have a selection of small items up front. What will be useful to outdoorsy types depends what they like to do -- I'm assuming you don't know enough about whatever it is to know what would be useful. If they are into hunting or shooting sports REI does not do that, but if they are into, say, kayaking, REI is usually staffed by pretty helpful people and you could probably find someone in the kayaking section, explain that you are making a pinata, and have them point out things that kayaking folks would like. If they are into shooting sports, Sportsmans Warehouse is a common store that carries those sorts of things.
posted by yohko at 1:59 PM on August 20, 2015
The wedding pinata might be nice with some wedding favor type items. I've seen wedding favors meant to be interesting little items to take home that have something to do with the couple or the theme of the wedding, and many of these would work well in a pinata. Look on pinterest for wedding favor ideas.
Most REI stores have a selection of small items up front. What will be useful to outdoorsy types depends what they like to do -- I'm assuming you don't know enough about whatever it is to know what would be useful. If they are into hunting or shooting sports REI does not do that, but if they are into, say, kayaking, REI is usually staffed by pretty helpful people and you could probably find someone in the kayaking section, explain that you are making a pinata, and have them point out things that kayaking folks would like. If they are into shooting sports, Sportsmans Warehouse is a common store that carries those sorts of things.
posted by yohko at 1:59 PM on August 20, 2015
Best answer: I did this for a wedding shower and I just want to prepare you for one element you may not have considered: when you break a candy-filled pinata in a crowd of kids, the kids go NUTS!!! and all that candy is snatched up lickety-split. When you break an item-filled pinata in a crowd of adults, everybody goes YAY!!! and then mostly stands around politely, selecting an item here or there, nobody wanting to be a hog. Eventually we had to sort of organize ourselves to pick everything up and put it on a table where we could go through it, people could share items they thought others would want -- "Hey, Sally, look at this perfume sample. I think you'd like this!"
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:00 PM on August 20, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:00 PM on August 20, 2015 [11 favorites]
I can confirm BlahLaLa's experience, with the caveat that I am one of the ones who will rush in there and look for the good stuff.
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:03 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fiercecupcake at 2:03 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lots of little tiny pinatas.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:03 PM on August 20, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:03 PM on August 20, 2015 [11 favorites]
LED Keychains
Fill these containers with sunscreen and put a little sun sticker on the lid
Handwipes
Compressed towels
posted by extramundane at 2:09 PM on August 20, 2015
Fill these containers with sunscreen and put a little sun sticker on the lid
Handwipes
Compressed towels
posted by extramundane at 2:09 PM on August 20, 2015
If you wanted to increase the pick-up rate, advertise that you've put a few higher-dollar items in there...even lottery tickets. Or a 100.00 bill. Gift cards. Then people will have an excuse to act unseemly.
Also, do it well after drinking is underway.
Conversely, you can make it into a game, where you need stuff from the piñata to complete a quest/win a prize of some kind. If you think they'd be into that.
posted by emjaybee at 2:11 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also, do it well after drinking is underway.
Conversely, you can make it into a game, where you need stuff from the piñata to complete a quest/win a prize of some kind. If you think they'd be into that.
posted by emjaybee at 2:11 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
For the outdoorsy pinata, you could make a bunch of these mini straw fire starters really cheaply.
posted by jabes at 2:25 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by jabes at 2:25 PM on August 20, 2015
for outdoors people, you could include strap tidies.
posted by andrewcooke at 2:41 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by andrewcooke at 2:41 PM on August 20, 2015
Individually packages trail mix.
posted by DoubleLune at 2:50 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by DoubleLune at 2:50 PM on August 20, 2015
Agree with glow-in-the-dark stuff. Lightsticks for the campers but necklaces, bracelets, and just random stuff will be a hit too.
Also agree with those compressed towels. Those are super useful and not just for campers.
LEGO.
AA batteries
Decks of cards
sticker labels of various kinds.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 2:59 PM on August 20, 2015
Also agree with those compressed towels. Those are super useful and not just for campers.
LEGO.
AA batteries
Decks of cards
sticker labels of various kinds.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 2:59 PM on August 20, 2015
A piñata at a bachelorette party I attended was filled with stuff from the army-navy surplus:
* waterproof match containers
* chemical hand warmers
* P-38 can openers
I would also have enjoyed strike-anywhere matches. It's getting harder to find the good ones: the new ones with the green heads don't strike as well.
posted by homodachi at 3:38 PM on August 20, 2015
* waterproof match containers
* chemical hand warmers
* P-38 can openers
I would also have enjoyed strike-anywhere matches. It's getting harder to find the good ones: the new ones with the green heads don't strike as well.
posted by homodachi at 3:38 PM on August 20, 2015
Also in that bachelorette party piñata was girly stuff: the bride-to-be got some Sephora Favorites value sets of lipstick and makeup, separated each component, and put them in. I still love the lip gloss I got.
posted by homodachi at 3:42 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by homodachi at 3:42 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
We filled our d20-shaped wedding pinata (we are nerds) with candy + a bunch of cheap stuff I got off ebay:
- temporary tattoos (big hit at the wedding, especially later at night after a fair amount of alcohol had been consumed)
- cute animal-shaped postit notes
- bottle opener rings
- moustache rings (like, rings with little moustaches on them, I don't even know)
- battery operated tea lights
- miniature compasses (popular among the outdoorsy guests)
- novelty tea strainers (in the shape of e.g. strawberries or musical notes)
I think we spent ~$20 on ebay stuff and I forget how much on candy but we bought way too much candy.
posted by quaking fajita at 3:43 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
- temporary tattoos (big hit at the wedding, especially later at night after a fair amount of alcohol had been consumed)
- cute animal-shaped postit notes
- bottle opener rings
- moustache rings (like, rings with little moustaches on them, I don't even know)
- battery operated tea lights
- miniature compasses (popular among the outdoorsy guests)
- novelty tea strainers (in the shape of e.g. strawberries or musical notes)
I think we spent ~$20 on ebay stuff and I forget how much on candy but we bought way too much candy.
posted by quaking fajita at 3:43 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
Archie McPhee's has a surprising collection of strange kitch. When we did something similar years ago we found they also had a "surprise" box, which is basically a random assortment of things that fell out of other boxes in their warehouse during processing. Deep discount for the price of not having the slightest idea what you're getting. I think ours was about 30% strange trading cards, for example.
posted by Phineas Rhyne at 4:28 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Phineas Rhyne at 4:28 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
A few more ideas: bandanas, mylar blankets, mosquito repellent stickers, muslin drawstring bags, mini inflatable beach balls, flying discs.
posted by extramundane at 4:50 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by extramundane at 4:50 PM on August 20, 2015
I love lotto tickets. But also is there a Japantown near where you live? They always have really fun trinkets, from erasers to make-up mirrors, that would be awesome in a pinata.
posted by Toddles at 7:28 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by Toddles at 7:28 PM on August 20, 2015
For outdoorsy people, stuff like these utterly fantastic rope things, mini Clif bars, tiny dollar LED lights, tubes of instant coffee (like Starbucks Via "doses"), single-use bug repellent wipes, sporks, loud whistles, P-51/P-38 can openers (caution: sharp), and EDC-type junk from DealExtreme or EBay.
For the wedding, it's trickier because your crowd doesn't share an interest besides the happy couple. Is there anything about them -- a shared hobby, where they met, their honeymoon, or a wedding theme -- that you could work with?
posted by wenestvedt at 8:43 AM on August 21, 2015
For the wedding, it's trickier because your crowd doesn't share an interest besides the happy couple. Is there anything about them -- a shared hobby, where they met, their honeymoon, or a wedding theme -- that you could work with?
posted by wenestvedt at 8:43 AM on August 21, 2015
The same stuff you'd find in a loot bag at a kids party and can buy at the dollar store. Low price, fun stuff that won't be missed if it gets lost or broken:
Boxes of mini-sparklers
Those little parachute guys
Mini containers of bubbles
Balloons
Glow sticks
mini Nerf-type balls
temporary tattoos
balsa wood gliders that you assemble yourself
bang snaps
various noisemakers
laser finger beams
folding paper fans
airplane helicopter balloons
mardi gras beads
glow in the dark stuff
Then for some pricier items, just get one or two of each, to up the ante competition-wise:
hackey sack
anything with LEDs in them
plastic tiaras
false moustaches
masks
Those glasses with eyes painted on them
paddle ball
any kind of toy you'd find in a prank store
yoyo
a wig or hat
a pair of fun socks
mini bug spray/sunscreen/chapstick/wet wipes/fun tissue packs
silly string or confetti tube
plastic water gun
a mini kite
posted by SassHat at 9:07 AM on August 24, 2015
Boxes of mini-sparklers
Those little parachute guys
Mini containers of bubbles
Balloons
Glow sticks
mini Nerf-type balls
temporary tattoos
balsa wood gliders that you assemble yourself
bang snaps
various noisemakers
laser finger beams
folding paper fans
airplane helicopter balloons
mardi gras beads
glow in the dark stuff
Then for some pricier items, just get one or two of each, to up the ante competition-wise:
hackey sack
anything with LEDs in them
plastic tiaras
false moustaches
masks
Those glasses with eyes painted on them
paddle ball
any kind of toy you'd find in a prank store
yoyo
a wig or hat
a pair of fun socks
mini bug spray/sunscreen/chapstick/wet wipes/fun tissue packs
silly string or confetti tube
plastic water gun
a mini kite
posted by SassHat at 9:07 AM on August 24, 2015
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Travel sized Aloe Vera gels and sunscreen tubes.
Cliff bars. Chapsticks.
Things useful for camping like boxes of matches, travel-sized kleenex, mini-carabiners, etc.
Things things aren't super cheap though.
posted by MrHalfwit at 1:19 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]