Homemade Cocktail Umbrellas for that Holiday Feel

two ice cold drinks decorated with homemade drinks umbrellas

When you’re looking to bring a summer vibe to your cocktails, cocktail umbrellas are an absolute must. But if you’re struggling to find them in the shops, fear not – because they can be easily made at home.

When you’re ready to indulge your creative side, gather your materials, choose your colours and get prepared to make your own cocktail umbrellas, ideal for your next summer BBQ.

How to make a homemade cocktail umbrella

Sturdy colourful paper
Wooden skewers
Tape
Scissors
A compass
A glue gun

1. Choose your solid cardstock, construction paper or scrapbooking paper. Using a compass, draw a circle on the back of the paper that’s 7cm in diameter.

2. Cut a slit going towards the middle of the circle and overlap the edges to form a shallow cone.

3. Secure with Scotch tape or glue.

4. Hot glue the homemade cocktail umbrella top to a skewer or toothpick.

5. Voila! Your homemade cocktail umbrella is ready to decorate in whatever theme you like!

Why do people use cocktail umbrellas?

While some people say the purpose of a cocktail umbrella is to keep ice from melting, others say it’s for decorative purposes only. However, it’s actually the temperature of the outside air that matters most – a cocktail umbrella certainly won’t stop the ice in your drink from melting on a hot summer’s day, but it looks pretty!

Drink ideas for your homemade cocktail umbrellas

While cocktail umbrellas traditionally conjure up images of Tiki cocktails like a Pina Colada or Rum Punch, you can have them with anything you like! And if kids are attending your summer event, they’ll love them in their mocktails, too! If you’re looking to keep the kids entertained during your event, you could even have a little activity station where they can decorate their own cocktail umbrellas.

Amp up the holiday vibes

If you’re hosting a holiday-themed summer event, there are plenty of things you can do alongside having homemade cocktail umbrellas. Just a few ideas include:

Have ice buckets dotted around the garden to keep drinks cool
Set the tone with a summer playlist
Plan a summer menu with lots of brightly coloured fruits and veggies
Plan your BBQ menu in advance
Choose a party theme, whether it’s a Tiki theme or Texas bbq theme.
Get your outdoor seating sorted, cushions on the floor and lots of rugs can add a bit of boho chic
Get the party games to hand, think giant Jenga, boule, anything that offers outside entertainment
Stock up on Party ice! It’s easy to overlook this one, but you’ll regret not having enough – especially after taking the time to make homemade cocktail umbrellas!