Ice pop molds

Ice pop molds are small cups or tubes, usually plastic or silicone, that hold a liquid mixture upright while it freezes around a stick. University of Illinois Extension suggests making your own pops by blending fruit with low-fat milk, yogurt or 100 percent juice, and then pouring the mixture into molds. The same post freezes banana halves on wooden craft sticks, laid on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for at least 45 minutes.

Molds make shaping easy, but the idea is simple: any small container that holds the liquid and a stick will do. Leave a little room at the top, because liquids expand as they freeze, and allow several hours for the pops to freeze solid.

To release a pop, run the outside of the mold briefly under warm water and pull gently on the stick. Layering different juices, with a short freeze between each layer, makes striped pops.