– “What should I fill it with?”
Well my friends, don’t fret! I know that it can be intimidating when options are endless…Birthdays come once a year, celebrations are occasional, you want to do it right always! The self-applied pressure is on! I am here to help!
But hey, it’s all good, you decided on a piñata already (that’s like answering the first question on the exam correctly – your name and date), the rest to follow. Life goes on. You tried and showed up to the exam! I appreciate your effort if anything! Even if the pinata is empty, it’s still a great gift overall. I promise you!
So I get it, you want to put gifts that are awesome inside, but not break the bank right? I am definitely on the same page (as should everyone else). I mean after all you did spend a pretty penny on the awesome piñata already and supported an extremely appreciative small business female owner (me!), which is essentially THE gift to your friend (and to me) the stuff inside is just a nice bonus.
If you read on, I’ll be giving some quick tips throughout this article regarding fillers who, what, when, where, and whys if you are ready for them! I’ll break it up into party and individual (you know one day you will need the knowledge for both)
First of all, I am here to answer your question with more questions because you will know better than me:
Depending on the age of the individual or group – there are gifts that you can and cannot give for legal reasons (adult content), or safety reasons (choking hazards) here are a couple ideas for each age group for both under and over 19.
Party
Cost is a huge factor here, especially with parties over 25+ children (JUST CHILDREN, adult not included) You want to be strategic and smart. Most importantly don't overload because the piñata can only hold so much goodies.
Secret Bonus Tip: shhhhh… your attendees don’t need to know this, you do! You don’t need 25 of the same item for every single person. I would do half the amount, or maybe 15 of each item and have about 5-6 different items available. I personally like to buy items where I can get multiples per package in this case. Costco or Superstore sell boxes of Welches gummies (great for younger kids). Buy a big bag of small individually wrapped candy to help keep the kids busy. (I know someone who once put a couple rolls worth of nickels and quarters in the pinatas… the kids had a hoot) The key is to keep everyone busy once they hit the ground. Pro Tip - Keep a couple extra of each item that you put inside the pinata in case you have a meltdown.
“Please be mindful about the amount of sugar and plastic toys you put inside the pinata”
- The parents of your guests.
Quick Tip #1: Set a budget for how much you ideally would like to spend on the filler BEFOREHAND. Starting at just $20 if you play your cards right, you can get some awesome items if you start looking early on. REMEMBER TO STAY WITHIN THE INTENDED BUDGET! Also if you know what you want to put inside, make sure to let me know if I need to make the trap door bigger to deposit your treats (Trap doors are approximately 3”x4”)
Individual
If you are giving the pinata to just one individual, you can spend more per item. It’s not about the value of the item in itself, it's the value of the item to the recipient (eyes of the beholder). Something that is sentimental, or an inside joke and just various things they have mentioned that they like in the past + some additional generic treats are the best go tos. If you don’t know what they would like, refer to the list up top and just pick a few things (still awesome)
Quick tip #2: Purchase the El Medio Size for your loved ones (individual gifts), because it's large enough to hold most small items, but it can keep the overall cost lower if that happens to be a concern. Most importantly they can display it comfortably or hang it without taking up too much room at their place.
Parties will most likely almost always have a theme, and individuals will always have a specific preference for certain things. Stick to it! For example, goldfish crackers for under the sea themed parties Character keychains for the anime lover. Knowing the party theme and likes and dislikes of the individual will definitely help in deciding what can and should go into the pinata. It may be the most obvious indicator.
Remember it’s what they like, not what you like…( I struggle with this one sometimes)
This is especially important for parties with young children at a party. The last thing you want is to have a bad anaphylaxis reaction at your party during the madness. Imagine a scenario where children drop and hit the ground scrambling to pick up ALL the treats! They grab the wrong one (because who even reads labels anymore or in this case CAN read labels at all?) Even if there is one child with allergies, don’t take the risk and make sure everything you put inside is allergy free for that child.
Quick Tip #3: We got the small items, and we got the filler fillers.
Quick Tip #4: Vancouver Pinatas sells pre-filled pinatas as well. Filler items are more generic and will consist mostly of treats and snacks. Perfect option for you busy bees.The pinata is completely sealed off (unless instructed not to do so) so that you won’t be able to access the goods without smashing the pinata. It’s nice to be able to put what you want inside, but it's also nice for someone else to do it for you.
If you have come this far reading my rambles and bojambles about fillers, you are obviously taking this super seriously and just the bestest family/friend/acquaintance ever!
But let me leave you with one last note and this is important, you may already know this. Less is more. Someone once put a photo that meant a lot to the recipient and had lots of sentimental value (it was an endearing surprise).
(Pictured 24"-30" Ironman Piñata)
]]>I have determined that May 15th 2020 to be the birth of Vancouver Piñatas. It wasn’t real to anyone (including myself) until I put it out to the universe (social media).
That is the date I made my first advertising post about my piñatas on Facebook (Oh how young, naïve and innocent those piñatas looked, fresh off the craft table, they all have a look of uncertainty, not sure who they really are yet and giving off strong “what am I doing here? Vibes”). I remember after putting the post up, I went for a workout and I could not focus to save my life. I kept checking my phone for private messages, comments, likes and whatever notifications that may come from the post. I was so nervous!!!!
Prior to posting, I was with my bestie on the phone forever and she kept saying “do it, do it, do it, trust me, just do it”. I got her to proofread my caption and look at everything three times, I hit “post now” with a trembling finger and the rest is history.
Fun fact: Both East Van Cross and Hopeless Ramen-tic were the hotcakes of the designs and they were flying off the shelves. Shortly afterwards, Bravocado (Grad avocado) became the new fave.
Pssst...first post on Instagram was on May 12th 2020, but that was a "test the water" post, doesn't really count! The magic was only building at the time.
So to celebrate “Vancouver Piñatas” first birthday, I am going to offer 15% off all products on my site starting May 15th 2021 (11:36am) – May 17th 2021 (11:59pm). Please use code HBDVP1 to claim discount (https://www.vancouverpinatas.com/discount/HBDVP1)
I will also be throwing in a exclusive first birthday memorabilia
***Please note that depending on popularity, expect a two to three week turnaround time for orders placed during the Vancouver Piñatas 1st Birthday event.
Great time to order some piñatas for upcoming special days!
Read on to see my first Facebook Piñata post EVER on May 15th 2020
Do you have a friend’s birthday coming up, do you have a little one who has been exceptionally good and deserve a little reward? Do you want to surprise them with a fun one of a kind gift? Check out these environmentally friendly handcrafted pinatas.
I recently started making pinatas for my quarantine birthday friends and they told me the greatest gift to them was for me to start sharing my pinatas with the world (okay not their exact words, but they did encourage me to share my new craft).
I present to you my pinatas at a special deal. Currently at $15 each unfilled. Fully functional trap door for you to fill with everything that fits.
Ive been stuffing my own pinatas with candy, snack sized chocolate, small treats, giftcards and of course confetti (if you need some ideas)
Perfect for those "who have everything already and are so hard to buy for".
"Open it, empty it and display it"
Thanks for reading and please share with your friends!
Check out and follow my new Instagram account to stay up to date with my new designs everyday!
@vancouverpinatas
Also check out my balloon art if you want to add something more!
@yaozerparties
Yaozer Parties
Take care friends!
DM for more info. More designs to come!
]]>The whole idea is to completely throw them off and confuse the juice out of them. The power of throwing people out of their thinking pattern is strong (We are on to something here folks). Whether it be extreme confusion, or changes on a emotional/mental level, it puts the person in a different space to regroup themselves and an opportunity to change their thinking.
In this instance, when asked the time question, the stalker may think...
Okay so you are probably wondering why I am even telling you what I just told you!
So you all know that Vancouver Piñatas started once upon a pandemic (2020). I wanted to give awesome gifts to my friends for their quarantine birthday as well as to cheer them up (and it worked!)
Although everyone is responding differently to the pandemic, some people are taking it harder than others. For some it may feel like its never going to end (I assure you it will end. Everything comes to an end whether its good or bad, the ending might just be different from what we are expecting and that is ok), for some its the feeling of loneliness. Regardless of the reason, this pandemic is taking a toll on a number of us and its going to take the rest of us to make sure they are ok.
Recently I have been giving away mini piñatas to those who need it to happy surprise attack their pandemic grief. As you know, laughter is the best medicine and it all starts with a smile. (I also got some happy tears as well). I always write a little note along the lines of "Hey thinking about you, I am here for you!" (It all translates to "it will get better soon" without actually saying the words - Unfortunately not everyone is ready to hear that).
These mini piñatas are not the answer to everything - but they are just so out of the ordinary, it brings an element or surprise and awe to those who receive it. When people say "oh what, I've never seen anything like this before", it shifts their focus and attention from the pandemic to something more in the moment, meanwhile you are still acknowledging their feelings towards the pandemic. I just love love love seeing peoples reaction when they first lay eyes on these mini yet mighty piñatas.
Just remember, mini gestures can have a mighty impact - go you go!!! Off with you to put some smile on others faces regardless of what you choose to do. GOOD ON YOU!
If you need help coming up with ideas - try my new ENCOURAGE-MINT PINATA. Available soon on my website :) Please check back!
So here's to continuing the great tradition of distributing joy and happiness to everyone who may or may not even realize they need it with new and cute concepts.
-Josephine
]]>I am not just saying that because I make and sell piñatas, I make and sell piñatas because they are popular and do make for really great gifts (Proven by the fact that they are in demand) I've witnessed firsthand the effect my mini piñatas have on individuals and umm WOW WOW!
Some would say of course my opinion would be biased, I make money off piñatas! Funny story, I don't actually make piñatas for profit, because trust me... after all things accounted for -fixed, variable, direct, indirect costs, I don't even want to tell you what goes into my pocket. I cannot simply copy and paste my piñatas (that would be nice though), so from start to finish (designing, prepping, assembling and packaging) we are looking at about an hour to an hour and a half PER PINATA of solid straight crafting (DIY piñatas to come for those interested in making their own) Ultimately, I make piñatas because it brings smiles and happiness :)
OK, but the real question here is who would be the perfect piñata recipient to this best gift ever?
If you follow me on social media and read my post from 11/05/2020, you know the answer is that (Super duper honesty time) Piñatas are not for everyone! I repeat NOT FOR EVERYONE!
One thing I learned from my short time making piñatas is that people stick to what they know. So what do we know about piñatas? We collectively know that piñatas are colorful, festive, customizable, filled with surprises and treats and basically scream PARTY TIME (and all other celebratory occasions!) You don't need a real reason to give piñatas, you just need someone who would appreciate it to give it to.
In addition to all the fun piñata qualities mentioned above, I present to you mini piñatas -not your regular large smashy kind. Miniature piñatas are not only aesthetically pleasing (so cute you want to put it in your pocket), they are the perfect size for your friends to display without taking up their entire shelf or pedestal. Ya so go ahead and remind them constantly of the great gifter that you are and take up some room on their shelf (and their heart).
I want you to give a gift that will tug at some heart strings, so lets make sure that you are choosing to right person to give it to for maximal results.
Here is a short and sweet checklist for you to verify whether your friend is the perfect piñata recipient:
So who came to mind? -GET THEM!
Honestly, how cool would you look to someone who meets all the criteria above when you hand them one of these mini gems. Mini piñatas are unique and one of a kind and truthfully not the most common concept of our time yet. A quick spin on what we expect from piñatas already, just gives it a huge boost on the wow factor. The most common response from my recipients is "I can't believe you made this". So next time you hear that, you can tell your friends and family "yeah I know someone who does and its made locally".
Thanks for reading - J
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Christmas just creeps up on you and BAM, its finally here. I TOLD MY SELF I WOULD START EARLIER AND DO BETTER THIS YEAR! (psssst… that's your first resolution of next year without it even being NYE)
Oh boy, it's Christmas already and I have to shop for gifts again? What? and it can't be the same one as last year? But it was such as perfect gift! Maybe they could use a newer one? They have everything already though? Yea sis I feel you!
What makes a gift perfect?
First of all, that's extremely subjective. If you haven't seen the video of "Boy gets avocado or Boy gets banana for Christmas" go on Youtube and check it out. That would be like our own Christmas gift to hand out such simple and nutritious gifts and receive the same reaction as those wee lads.
Unless you are that person who remembers everything your friend mentioned they wanted throughout the year (I know that's not me), I can let you in on some of my secrets to gifting like a pro.
Here's my quick guide to What-to-buy-for-my-friends-when-I-don't-remember-what-they-asked-for-or-my-friend-has-everything-already.
Okay so you are a little bit extra and you are thinking you want to check all the boxes on my secret list. You want something thats handmade, recyclable, can contain a giftcard, a funny inside joke and does not create clutter in your friends life.
What are friends for if I don't tell you about mini pinatas and how amazingsauce they are as Christmas gifts. They check everything off my gift giving guide:
PS. they come in these mini boxes that you can gift wrap to make it look like your traditional gifts.
It's the ultimate gift inception, open up your present to see a piñata, open up your piñata to see the rest of your gift! How exciting! BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT EVER!!!
Also this Christmas blog is not too early...I was at the store last month shopping for Halloween candy while looking at Christmas products. I am good.
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