Today is a skushy day but during the weekend it was cold. On Saturday as I was rummaging in the garage I found some plastic buckets and containers and realised how perfect they are for making ice lanterns!
Here's how:
One large container and one small filled up about 3/4 of water.
I don't think the lid is necessary but it helped keep the small container somewhat more in place under the criss cross pattern of masking tape. The idea is to float the small container in the center of the large one.
Place outside in the cold. The kit stayed outside for about 24 hours. Made the mistake of putting it where there happened to be sun for a while or it would have been quicker.
Back in the kitchen. Remove the small container. It wasn't really cold enough to freeze everything solid so there was still some water in both containers.
The large bucket did yield a lantern! Here's Wille's helping me remove it.
And here it is outside on the front steps. As you can see the fairy lights are still up. It's just too dark to take them down.
Wille enjoyed the thin ice disk from the small container too. Poured water on it to see how thin he could make the rim before it broke.
He even came up with smoothing out the edges and thinning it down even more by running warm water and using the tap... Then it broke. Cheap thrills, huh!? :)
Thats really really nice!!
What temperature is it where you are?
Posted by: Jued | January 20, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Jued, today it's 1 C (34 F) and slush but during the weekend it was -7 C(20 F).
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | January 20, 2009 at 06:08 PM
That looks like fun! A great way to take advantage of the cold weather too. We've been at around -10C for a week now. Brrr.
How long does the lantern last before the candle's heat melts it?
Posted by: Michelle of Montreal | January 20, 2009 at 06:48 PM
Michelle, it took about an hour :) But the walls are still up today despite the mild weather so as long as there's not much wind the lantern can still be used.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | January 20, 2009 at 06:50 PM
Oh that is BEAUTIFUL Benita! So elegant! It would make my night if I was out walking and saw that. I'll be linking.
Posted by: Rachel | January 20, 2009 at 07:27 PM
Very Martha-ish!
I love the look of it on your front porch!
Posted by: Petra from the Netherlands | January 20, 2009 at 07:32 PM
My husband would do the same thing with the leftover ice. It's nice that they're so easily entertained.
Our church's women's ministry made lanterns similar to this several years ago for a valentine's dinner. They even put cranberries into the ice to give it some color. Simple beauty.
Posted by: Jessica | January 20, 2009 at 07:48 PM
what a wonderfull and easy idea for the next visiting Frauke
Posted by: Frauke | January 20, 2009 at 07:57 PM
Wow Benita - sometimes I think you have too much time on your hands! Very cute...
Posted by: Ally S | January 20, 2009 at 07:59 PM
I'm thinking you could use one of those battery-powered LED lights instead of a candle, right? Then it wouldn't melt until the outside temperature started to go up.
Anyway, that's totally "cool" ha-ha-ha. If I lived somewhere cold I'd definitely give it a try!
Posted by: Katie K | January 20, 2009 at 08:37 PM
I'm so glad we aren't the only grown people who play with ice:
http://bromeliadliving.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-to-do-whe-its-icy-cold.html
Posted by: Samantha | January 20, 2009 at 09:02 PM
Ally, it took about 10 minutes altogether. I didn't sit there watch it freeze :)
Katie, great idea, I need to get some of those!
Samantha, too funny!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | January 20, 2009 at 09:42 PM
Such a great idea! It's so bad, that this week is out not so cold... Not under 0°C. The snow is melting.
Posted by: Anna from Czech Republic | January 20, 2009 at 09:55 PM
That is so pretty and magical.
Posted by: Linda | January 20, 2009 at 10:17 PM
it's cold here too...and it makes me even colder looking at your lantern...LOL
i had a thought....couldn't you keep putting smaller and smaller containers inside of each other...then you could freeze a series of the lanterns
Posted by: gebah | January 20, 2009 at 10:41 PM
I've seen so many good ideas to make things with ice this winter. We're having horribly cold weather here...I need to break out of the winter blues by making some of these!
Posted by: mollysusie | January 20, 2009 at 10:54 PM
What a flippin gorgeous project!!!
Posted by: Not Your Goddess | January 20, 2009 at 11:52 PM
I wish we were that cold at the present time.Today it was 41C(105F)and hot again tomorrow.Your porch is beautiful.
Posted by: Robyn | January 21, 2009 at 03:25 AM
What a great idea! I just wish i had a freezer large enough to hold a bucket, or even with the spare space to try a smaller version. We dont have nature to do this for us here in Western Australia!
Posted by: Maddy | January 21, 2009 at 03:56 AM
Stunning, thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Purple Area | January 21, 2009 at 02:48 PM
I made tons of ice lanterns last holiday season. I used a bit different technique though. I just don't let the water in the buckets freeze all the way through. When you pour the remaining unfrozen water in the middle out, it makes a beautiful place for the candle. This way you don't need to tape another bucket inside to make a hole.
http://entertaininganytime.typepad.com/sparkling_ink/2008/12/-ice-lanterns-.html
Ice lanterns are such a pretty outdoor decoration idea for winter!
Posted by: Tiina | January 21, 2009 at 04:09 PM
Lovely ice container but we rarely have that kind of cold to make them.
Please come over to my blog and pick up an award that's yours! (Jan 21st post http://cookingmylife.blogspot.com/2009/01/celebrate-good-times-come-on.html)
Posted by: Maureen | January 21, 2009 at 06:20 PM
I love this idea, we're having a Titanic themed Murder Mystery party in a few weeks, so I shall be making some! -20c here too, so the perfect temperature!
Posted by: Clare Mansell | January 21, 2009 at 11:50 PM
great idea!!!
Posted by: Jimena Diaz | January 22, 2009 at 01:04 AM
Would one of those flickering battery powered candles be enough light??? :) It would totally last longer that way!!!
Posted by: Jo | January 22, 2009 at 03:36 PM
I did 50 5 gallon ones one year. I just poured out the unfrozen water from the center.
Much easier.
No inner bucket, etc.
K
Posted by: Kay Sorensen | January 25, 2009 at 06:11 AM
it really looks nice. My first thought (after "wow, that looks nice" was "how long does it last". But you already answered. :) :) I think we could have done it here, too, because we had really cold wheather, too.
Många hälsningar.
Posted by: Franziska | January 25, 2009 at 11:02 PM
does the tea light not go out due to lack of oxygen?
Posted by: ashleyd | January 26, 2009 at 08:38 PM
ashleyd, that's what I thought would happen too, but the rim at the bottom was a bit uneven so the oxygen could pass through underneath.
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | January 26, 2009 at 08:51 PM
Cool - there are many ways to make them. Some of the most beautiful ones are shaped like globes... take a look here: www.icelanterns.com
Posted by: TomH | January 29, 2009 at 10:58 PM
TomH, that's awsome!
Posted by: Benita ~ Chez Larsson | January 30, 2009 at 03:40 PM
Ooh, I must try this! We have cold aplenty up here!
Posted by: Loretta | January 31, 2009 at 04:13 PM
What a fun idea! Not sure it will get cold enough here for that, even in winter, but I'll keep it in mind in case :-)
Posted by: Kim | February 01, 2009 at 06:26 PM
What a great idea, if only it were cold enough here in Texas to do that.
Posted by: Newlyweds | February 03, 2009 at 10:43 PM
You are sooooooo great, Benita!!! I know I say this all the time but... I cannot stop reading your blog!!!!
Kram,
Myriam
Posted by: MyR . | September 22, 2009 at 12:22 PM