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Five Creative DIY Lemonade Stands You Can Make This Summer

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  • Local nurses and stand hosts Shanna and Tiffany built their sturdy lemonade stand out of recycled wooden pallets in Belton, MO.
    Local nurses and stand hosts Shanna and Tiffany built their sturdy lemonade stand out of recycled wooden pallets in Belton, MO.
  • A little color goes a long way. Many stand hosts, including these students from Welsh Valley Middle School, painted over pallets to stand out.
    A little color goes a long way. Many stand hosts, including these students from Welsh Valley Middle School, painted over pallets to stand out.
  • Alex Scott and all kids with cancer are our heroes bravely fighting disease. This stand in Overland Park, KS paid homage to their bravery in a big way.
    Alex Scott and all kids with cancer are our heroes bravely fighting disease. This stand in Overland Park, KS paid homage to their bravery in a big way.
  • The Lemon Club at Ruskin High School in Kansas City, MO gave their DIY lemonade stand a personal flair with hand painted lemons.
    The Lemon Club at Ruskin High School in Kansas City, MO gave their DIY lemonade stand a personal flair with hand painted lemons.
  • If variety is the spice of life, the Wamsley family had the tastiest lemonade stand in Riverside, CA, offering supporters their choice of lemonade flavors and other treats.
    If variety is the spice of life, the Wamsley family had the tastiest lemonade stand in Riverside, CA, offering supporters their choice of lemonade flavors and other treats.

By: Shannon O'Connor

Every summer, fresh lemonade stands pop up all across the country, each more unique than the last. At Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), we always look forward to seeing the kind of DIY lemonade stands supporters make. 

Need some fun, new lemonade stand ideas you can DIY? Get inspired and give your stand a little twist of creativity this year with some of these clever ideas!

1. Recycle and Reuse

Build your stand out of recycled wooden pallets — a smart option that hosts Shanna and Tiffany took full advantage of when making their DIY lemonade stand in Belton, MO. Pallets are cheap, sturdy and versatile. By tipping them on their sides and stacking smaller wooden boxes to complete the look, these organizers created a table that welcomed donors all day long! You can pick up discarded pallets outside local businesses (but make sure you ask first!).

2. Add a Pop of Color

These students from Welsh Valley Middle School in PA wanted their DIY lemonade stand to pop with color. Taking their pallets and painting them bright white and yellow was a fun solution that caught people’s eye at their Annual Community Service Day. Some stand hosts embrace the ALSF color scheme of yellow and blue; others add a splash of pink (lemonade). Whatever colors you choose, you can give your stand a brilliant facelift!

3.  Make it Super

Kids battling cancer all around the world are our heroes! So we love this superhero theme created by families in Overland Park, KS. You really can’t miss this stand with its towering cut-out superhero akin to ALSF founder Alex Scott. To theme your own stand, pick a fun inspiration that is meaningful to you and run with it!

4. Personalize Your Stand

Have a knack for art? Give your stand a personal flair and decorate it like the Lemon Club at Ruskin High School. These students in Kansas City, MO proudly raised money for childhood cancer research with a classic wooden stand adorned with paintings of green lemons. Get creative with your style and make your stand a work of art!

5. Variety is the Spice of Life
While a plastic table draped in a yellow tablecloth always does the trick, some stand hosts have thought up ways to take it a couple steps further. The Wamsleys hosted their DIY lemonade stand with a variety of lemonade flavors available. They also offered homemade bracelets and baked goods on the side. Get creative, think of a new way to fundraise and have a good time!

Ready to host your own Alex’s Lemonade Stand? Lemonade Days is the perfect time! During Lemonade Days, supporters across the country turn these summer staples into impactful fundraisers for kids fighting cancer. Join in the fun by hosting a lemonade stand or event with family, friends, co-workers and classmates. Make your stand and raise money for children everywhere waiting for better treatments and cures.

Register for Lemonade Days today!