6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns

6 ways to make ice lanterns. Ice lanterns look so beautiful and are so easy to make: a fun winter craft! Learn how to make ice lanterns the easy way!

6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns Tutorial

I make ice lanterns every winter when it’s cold enough. Over the years I tried different techniques to make ice lanterns. These are my six favorite ways to make luminaries out of ice.

Make Ice Lanterns Outside Or In The Freezer?

You can make ice luminaries outdoors when it’s cold enough. Or use the freezer to make easy ice lanterns and ice globes.

Making ice lanterns in the freezer is faster: Depending on the size, the ice candles are usually frozen after a couple of hours.

But making ice lanterns outdoors works just as well. It usually takes anywhere from a night to two days for the ice luminaries to freeze depending on the weather.

6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns

Molds For DIY Ice Lanterns

If you want to make bucket ice lanterns, you can just use water buckets. But other plastic or metal containers work just as well. By the way, even empty milk containers work. Don’t use glass as glass can break. And use containers that are wider at the top then the bottom. Also don’t use containers with ridges, such as tin cans, so that the ice luminaries can easily slide out.

If you want to make ice globes, you need balloons. And for one of the following DIY ice luminaries you also need a bowl and a rock or something similar.

How To Remove Ice Lanterns From Molds

Pour warm water around the molds until the ice luminaries slide out. Don’t use hot water or the ice lanterns may break.

How To Make Ice Lanterns DIY Easy Ice Luminaries
How To Make Ice Block Lanterns

6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns

How To Make Ice Block Lanterns

You’ll Need:

  • large container – plastic or metal
  • tin can
  • boiling water

1. Fill the large container with cold water. Put it outside or in the freezer.

2. When the ice lantern is frozen solid, remove it from the mold. Then place a tin can on top of the ice candle and pour boiling water into the tin can. The hot water melts an indentation for the candle in the ice lantern. By the way, a candle or oil lamp doesn’t work to melt an indentation in the ice because they’re not hot enough at the bottom.

3. After a while, pour the cold water out of the tin can. Also, pour the melted ice out of the ice lantern. Then pour boiling water back into the tin can. Continue until the indentation is large enough.

4. Put a candle or oil lamp in the ice lantern and light it.

Related: How To Make An Easy Tin Can Oil Lamp

How To Make Ice Block Lanterns Tutorial
DIY Ice Lanterns – Two-Bucket Technique

DIY Ice Lanterns – Two-Bucket Technique

You’ll Need:

  • large container – plastic or metal
  • smaller container
  • rocks
  • twigs

1. Pour cold water into the large container. Then put the smaller container in the larger container and weigh it down with rocks. Use twigs or something similar to center the small container. Put the container outside or in the freezer.

2. When the ice candle is frozen solid, remove it from the mold. Then put a candle or oil lamp in the ice luminary and light it.

Related: How To Make Edible Ice Bowls

How To Make Outdoor Ice Lanterns DIY Ice Globes
How To Make Ice Globes With Balloons

How To Make Ice Globes With Balloons

You’ll Need:

  • balloon
  • round rock
  • optional: bowl

1. Fill the balloon with cold water. Tie off the balloon. Then put the water balloon outside or in the freezer so that the balloon lays over a round rock: The rock creates the indentation for the candle.

2. When the ice globe is frozen solid, remove it from the balloon using scissors. Then put a candle or oil lamp in the ice globe and light it.

Related: How To Make Tallow Candles

6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns Step By Step Tutorial DIY Ice Candles
DIY Balloon Ice Lanterns – Another Way

DIY Balloon Ice Lanterns – Another Way

You’ll Need:

  • balloon

1. Fill the balloon with cold water. Then blow some air into the water balloon. The air makes the ice lantern flat on top. Tie a knot. Then put the water balloon outside or in the freezer.

2. When it’s frozen solid, use scissors to remove the ice lantern from the balloon. The air also creates an interesting ice texture: the ice is almost flaky. So you can easily remove some ice with your fingers to make an indentation for the candle. Put a candle or oil lamp in the ice candle and light it.

How To Make Easy Ice Lanterns With Balloons
How To Make Partially Frozen Ice Luminaries

How To Make Partially Frozen Ice Luminaries

Not letting the water freeze completely is an easy way to make ice lanterns. You can either use a large container or balloon to make these homemade ice lanterns.

You’ll Need:

  • balloon or large container

1. Fill the balloon (or container) with cold water. Tie off the balloon. Then put it outside or in the freezer.

2. Wait until an ice layer has formed in the mold but the inside is still water. Now remove the DIY ice lantern from the mold. And pour the water out of the ice lantern.

3. Put a candle or oil lamp in the DIY ice candle and light it.

Related: How To Make DIY Candle Wicks With Cotton String – 3 Ways

6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns Step By Step Tutorial
How To Make Ice Lanterns With Greenery

How To Make Ice Lanterns With Greenery

Instead of clear ice lanterns, you can also make botanical ice lanterns with flowers, berries or branches. For these ice luminaries, I used fir branches, barberry and rosehip twigs.

You’ll Need:

  • large container – plastic or metal
  • smaller container
  • rocks
  • flowers, berries or branches

1. Put the twigs between the large and small container. Weigh the small container down with rocks. Then fill the large container with cold water.

2. When the ice candle is frozen solid, remove it from the mold. Then put a candle or oil lamp in the ice lantern and light it.

Related: How To Make Edible Blue Ice Bowls – Colored With Red Cabbage

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6 Ways To Make Ice Lanterns Tutorial

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