{Festive Drink Umbrellas: How-To}

It would be nearly impossible to improve on the cocktail umbrella, a staple of backyard luaus and fancy hotel bars. But the homemade parasols shown here, floating in tumblers of lemonade on the rocks, are the most elegant we've seen. Created with assorted origami paper, their cheerful tops provide a gentle shade for all your summer drinks.


A soup can makes a handy template for origami-paper umbrella tops. Cut paper with pinking shears or scallop scissors for a decorative edge. From each circle, remove a pie-slice shape measuring about 1/8 of the circumference. Fashion into a cone, slightly overlapping straight ends; use a glue stick or double-sided tape to secure. Dab white craft glue inside nose of cone, and pierce tip with a wooden skewer (snip skewer for a custom fit); allow to dry.

Martha Stewart Crafts