Rain Rain Go Away... Let's Make a Paper Drink Umbrella Today

Are you one of those who hate summer?

With the scorching heat and melting streets, you definitely deserve cool and refreshing lemonade to let your agony fade.

What’s so fun about having a drink in the same old glass?

Shouldn’t there be something cute and crispy to please your eyes?

Here comes this pretty umbrella to the rescue.

Why don’t we try it out on our sparkling lemonade?

Let’s make a paper drink umbrella to lift up the mood of refreshment.

Paper umbrellas are easy enough to come by in supermarkets and departmental stores, but the subtle touch of handmade versions can go a long way in making our day special. They only take a few minutes to make, and if you are planning for your kid’s birthday party, this version is easy to adapt to the colors and decorations.

You could also make an absolutely cool paper umbrella garland using them, to spice up the event. All you would need is a fishing line, and a toddler’s help is always fine.

Materials Required

• Hand tissue paper or Craft tissue (Any Color) – 1 sheet

• Wooden skewers or Toothpicks – 9 Nos

• Compass or Bowl (Medium size)

• Clay dough (any color) or Wheat dough

• Non-toxic acrylic paints

• Pencil, Glue, and Scissors

Instructions

Making the Umbrella’s Wing

1. Using a compass or a bowl, trace a circle onto a piece of tissue paper. Cut the circle out using scissors and fold it in half.

2. Unfold the tissue and then fold it in half again, creating a crease that is perpendicular to the first one.

3. Unfold and fold again, this time creating a crease diagonally across the first crease. Continue folding the tissue in half until you have a total of 8 creases.

4. Using scissors, cut in the center of the circle to make a hole.

Making the Umbrella’s Skeleton

1. Take a small amount of clay dough or wheat dough the size of a cherry (I used wheat dough here). Using your palms, make a smooth ball and press them between your fingers to make a tear-drop.

2. Insert the dough into the hole of the umbrella’s wing in a way that the tip of the dough is facing the outer part of the wing, and the curvy portion drops inside.

3. Now, start inserting the toothpick into the dough, underneath the wing, one by one in a way that it fits perfectly onto the creases of the tissue paper. After inserting them, press the dough to seal them tight.

4. Apply a small amount of glue over the creases and stick the toothpicks gently onto the crease of the umbrella wing. As a word of caution, do take care as the tissue paper will start to smudge in the glue, and there are chances for it to tear. Let it dry for a few minutes.

Making the Umbrella Handle

1. Insert the toothpick into the center of the dough underneath the umbrella wing and make sure it is tightly fit into the.

2. Secure the toothpick tight by sealing it underneath using a small pearl of dough. This forms the handle of the umbrella.

3. As summer vacation is around the corner, the idea of handmade crafts could loosen up your child’s creativity. Use your favorite colors and paint the umbrella’s wing and dough gently (Kids should do this step with adult supervision). Let it dry for a few minutes.

4. If you have tissue paper with embossed patterns, you might be as lucky as me in ending up with a crispy finish.