The tradition of the Peppermint Pig
The peppermint pig tradition started in the late 1800s in Saratoga Springs, NY. Did you know that pigs used to represent wealth and prosperity? After dinner, people would place a pink peppermint pig inside a cloth, break it into pieces, and share it for luck. You can find some here.
Today we’re sharing a Lars twist on this tradition with a peppermint pig piñata. You can start a new Christmas ritual with your family! We love that it’s a little quirky and reminds us of an era gone by.
Peppermint Pig Piñata DIY
Materials
- cardboard
- butcher paper
- pig template
- tape
- glue gun
- pink tissue paper
- scissors
- black paper
- light pink paper
- optional: green paper for leaves, real fir, berries, red bow
Instructions
- Download the template and scale it to the size you’d like your pig to be. We did 4x the size of the template.
- Trace it onto butcher paper and the transfer the design onto your cardboard. You’ll need two sizes for the sides of the pig.
- Create the sides of the pig out of cardboard about 4-5″ wide with the grain of the cardboard going the width way so you can easily shape the curved parts.
- Tape or glue the pieces together.
- Cut fringe from tissue paper and glue layer by layer starting from the bottom of the pig. Each piece will be 3″ tall to the widest width of the tissue paper. We cut fringe about every 1/4″ wide leaving a space of at least 1/2″ at the top.
- Finish the pig details with some black paper at the bottom for hoofs, circles for eyes, and larger circles in pink paper for cheeks. If you’re feeling particularly festive, add in greenery around the neck.
- To add a hook onto the pig to hang, cut two holes at the top and insert a ribbon or piece of wire.
Would love to see your own versions! Tag us with #HolidaysWithLars or #LarsMakes so we can see them!
If you liked this, you’ll love:
Valentine’s Day Pinata Box
Cookie Box Printable
For tons more Christmas ideas, check out our holiday tag here.
