Historically, pinatas have been made in Mexico, using low-fired clay pots covered with papier mache (paper plus a flour/water adhesive, or a starch/water adhesive). The more modern pinatas (esp for the U.S. market) usually don't have the clay pot inside, they're more like a shaped cardboard box decorated with ruffled layers of colored tissue (very hard to beat open, they're mostly for decoration, I suspect).

I have only seen one book on pinata-making, as such, and that was a fairly simple children's picture book that followed an elderly pinata maker, and showed how he made the older style clay pot pinatas. It is titled El Piñatero/ The Piñata Maker by George Ancona.

Another book on Mexican papier mache and some pinatas is 'En Calavera: The Papier-Mache Art of the Linares Family' by Susan N. Masuoka (1994). It shows how they do them, but no step-by-step instructions. Heavy on skulls for the Day of the Dead.

Both of these books are usually available through your library's InterLibrary Loan program.

The problem with finding an adult how-to book on pinatas is that there just isn't much of a market for one. The children's books showing how to make one is basically all there is to it. It's a simple process. You take it from there.

Basically, a pinata is a papier mache shell made with strips of paper and an adhesive (white craft glue diluted 50/50 with water is popular). It can be formed over a large balloon which is removed when the shell is dry, or formed over any other suitable object for the basic shape you want, then when the shell is dry, you cut the shell off in two or three pieces (depending on how complicated the shape is), and then use more paper strips and adhesive to fasten the shape back together. Then you add cardboard cones to form star points, or additional shapes cut out and taped together with masking tape to resemble animals or birds, or practically anything. Decorate it with colored paper (tissue that doesn't run when wet is best) or anything else that strikes your fancy (colored mylar, wood shavings and curls, etc). You're really limited only by your imagination.

I have a 10-page list of various papier mache books, but I have not seen most of them, and don't know the skill level of most of them.

Probably the best-known book with good photos and some instruction is Juliet Bawden's 'The Art & Craft of Papier Mache'. It's a nice book and will stimulate your imagination.

Sue

If you want to learn about and experience the craft of papier mache, you should look at some of the articles and tutorials on this site.
In particular, it is worth getting Jackie Hall's e-book that is sold on this site.
http://www.papiermache.co.uk/papier_mac … ign_ebook/
Jackie created this site with the help of her son and it has informed hundreds of people all over the world.  Her book is very good.
DavidO