Winter Ice Globes

A easy and fun project for those Frozen winter days - The cold never bothered us anyway!

In honor of the snow storm that is coming our way I decided to capitalize on the cold temperatures to make a really cool winter project.  Winter is perfect for candlelight.  I think candlelight is soothing and gives everything a beautiful, warm glow.  Our current weather is perfect for making ice globes.  I love using ice globes in the winter as outdoor luminarias.  The globes in the snow are a creative welcome to guests and make a great marker for a snowy walkway.  They are also a fun table top candle holder for a winter party.  The globes cost about ten cents or less for each one so they make an affordable project that even the kids will enjoy.

It's a simple materials list – water, balloons, a bucket, and something for the bucket bottom.  I used a small jar of jam.  You could get really creative by adding food coloring to the water for different colors of globes.  For the larger size globes, fill a bucket with water.  It's possible to make giant globes with 5 gallon buckets.  Place the jam/whatever you are using for the center, in the bottom of the water.  This will be the marker for the candle hole.  Once the bucket is ready, put it in the freezer or set it outside to freeze.

For the smaller globes, start by filling a balloon with water until it is the size of the globe you want to create.

Place the filled balloon onto the top of a cup (plastic). I put the filled balloons on cups onto a pan for easy transport.  Take them outside in the cold or put them into the freezer for a couple of hours.  Once the balloon starts to harden on the outside, cut a hole in the bottom of the balloon.  Allow the excess water to drain into the cup.  This creates the hole for the candle.  Allow to freeze completely for another couple of hours.

Once frozen, remove the balloons and buckets from the ice globes.  Be careful as you move the globes once they are frozen, or else they will shatter if you drop one.  I did that and was really disappointed.  Drop a tea light candle into the center and you are ready to glow.

I used the globes outside.  I put them in the snow and the light reflected beautifully.  I also placed them along the porch railing on my deck and along a walkway covered in snow.  They also make fun indoor candle holders, just remember to put them in a tray in they're on the tabletop to protect the surface underneath.