When life gives you lemons, make lemonade (pinatas)! We’ve made a bunch of summery food pinatas over the years (watermelon, ice cream, popsicles, soft serve!) but this might just be my favorite. It even has ice! Hang it up at an end of summer barbecue. Or, might we suggest: a Beyonce party?

Materials Needed: Posterboard, 10” and 14” styrofoam wreaths, hot glue gun, twine, newspaper, flour, water, bowl, x-acto knife, cardboard tube (we used one from an old wrapping paper roll), crepe paper (in lemon, light blue, pink, and white), scissors, cardboard, paint brush, white acrylic paint, two 3” plastic cubes, clear packing tape

Step 1: Roll the posterboard into a loose tube shape, wider at the top than on the bottom. Use the styrofoam wreaths to support the structure, and hot glue to secure. Trim the tube to 20” tall.
Step 2: Tie three long pieces of string equal distances apart on the larger wreath (you’ll use these later to hang the pinata!)
Step 3: Trace the size of the openings on the top and bottom of the tube onto a new sheet of posterboard. Cut out the two circles.
Step 4: Punch three small holes in a triangular formation on the larger circle, and thread the strings through the holes. Gather and tie the string into a knot. Then, hot glue the top and bottom circles in place.
Step 5: Paper maché the cup shape with newspaper and a 1:1 mixture of water and flour. We recommend 2-3 layers. Let dry completely for at least 24 hours before fringing.
Step 6: With an x-acto knife, cut a 3” circle into the top of the structure, offset from the center. This is for your straw — and will double as your trap door for treats!
Step 7: Cut lots of fringe from the lemon, and some from the light blue, pink, and white crepe paper with a good pair of scissors and ruler. Our fringe was roughly 2″ tall and 1cm wide. Glue the fringe to the pinata, starting from the bottom and moving up. When fringing the base and top, apply fringe in concentric circles.
Step 8: Fringe diagonal stripes on the cardboard tube, alternating from pink to white halfway through. You won’t need to fringe the entire tube, just the part that sticks out of the cup! Insert the tube into hole on the cup.
Step 9: Cut out two 10” cardboard circles, and a strip 1-1/2″ wide and 30” long. Using an x-acto knife, cut a triangle segment out from each circle (adjusting to fit the angle on the rim of the cup.)
Step 10: Glue the cardboard strip to the edge of one circle. Trim the remainder. Then, hot glue the other circle on top. It should look like a big wheel of cheese!
Step 11: Paint the inside of the circles with white acrylic paint and let dry.
Step 12: Cut a bunch of smaller yellow fringe, 1-1/2” tall and 1cm wide. Fringe the rounded end of the cardboard. This will be the lemon rind! Then, fringe the lemon segments one by one, starting from the center. Don’t forget to round the corners at the beginning and end of each segment! Glue the lemon wedge to the edge of the cup opposite the straw.
Step 13: Add ice! Build the 3” plastic cubes, and secure the ends with clear packing tape. Cut the cubes in half, angling the cut so the pieces are not equal in size. Then, hot glue the exposed corners to the yellow part in the top of the glass.
Step 14: When you’re ready to fill the pinata, just remove the straw! Hang up, and enjoy on a hot summer day!

Pinata base built by Colleen Casper
Pinata decorating by Naomi Julia Satake