Making A Paper Parasol

Try these easy-to-make paper parasols at home for your kiddy parties. They do not have wooden spines like the commercially available ones. But if you use stiff paper, you can get the right look anyway.

The steps are:

1. Cut a circle of 1.5"-2"(inches) diameter out of stiff paper. I used both card paper from a pamphlet and glossy newspaper, and both worked for me.

2. Fold it neatly into half, making sure the edges match perfectly.

3. Fold it into further halves, twice over, so you are left with something that looks like this.

4. Now take a pair of scissors and snip off a tiny bit on the top. This will form the centre of the parasol or umbrella, from where we can slip in the straw.

5. Turn your scissors to the broad arc of the circle and cut out a jagged motif, so that when we open the folds, it forms a decorative pattern. You can be really creative here and create motifs as you like. Or use a pattern scissor to help.

6. Open the folds of your paper parasol and fit it right below the bend of the straw.

Go on, serve the drinks! What are you waiting for?? Oh, the compliments… they’ll come soon! :)