Fire And Ice Lanterns For Yule

I was cruising the web looking for cool ways to make ice lanterns or ice globes. I found an Alaskan newspaper that showed how to make the ice globes using balloons filled with water. This is an awesome idea for Yule. Go check it out and follow the directions. Add food coloring to the water before freezing to make cool colored lanterns.

To make Ice Luminaries, you take a plastic or Styrofoam cup and fill about half way with water, then put a smaller cup inside and place small stones or sand inside it to hold it's rim just above the water line. Put the water cup gently in the freezer on a level surface for 24 hours to make sure it is frozen good and solid. Take out the inner cup and outer cups carefully that you don't break your creation.

Special note* Regular water will give the bubbles in the ice. If you boil the water first, it makes clear ice luminaries. Make sure the water is slightly hot when you pour it into the cup so you don't melt the plastic.

Spray the bottom of your luminary with PAM or a light coating of  cooking oil so it doesn't stick to the freezer. Set the frozen luminary back in the freezer until ready to use. When night comes on Yule, take out the lanterns and place a small long burning candle inside. Enjoy!

I found another idea at Rhythm of the Home The Blog .  Go check them out! 

You can also do this with small cake molds or jello molds and place small jars in the center to hold the candles. Better yet place fruit, seeds, or veggie pieces in the water to freeze for wild animals to eat when the ice melts after use. A treat for both you and animals.

You can also freeze fruit and veggies for wild birds and other animals and have a hollow center to string a pretty ribbon through to hang on trees outside.