How to make an ice lantern, a winter solstice decoration DIY

DIY ice lantern or ice candle is rather easy to make. The beautiful ice luminaries, or ice candle holders are a perfect way to celebrate the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. Decorate your front porch or your winter balcony with these easy ice lanterns.

This time of year the cold temperatures might not be your cup of tea, but you can use the cold to create beautiful ice lanterns at home – well – on the balcony or porch to be precise. Use tiny tea lights as a light source to make this beauty shine in the darkness of the winter solstice.

Tips for making homemade ice luminary, the ice lantern

• You can make ice lanterns of different sizes to create different kinds of lanterns. If you want smaller lanterns just use a smaller container to freeze the water in. For a bigger ice lantern use a deeper and larger container. Just remember it takes then as well longer time to freeze!
• Choose a bucket wide enough to make an ice lantern with at least 5 cm thick walls and a 10cm space for a tea light, so at least 20 cm in diameter.
• Choose a bucket that has straight sides, to easily remove the ice lantern.
• Pick enough cold weather to succeed with this DIY ice lantern.

Materials you need for ice lantern

• Cold water
• Hot water

Tools you need

• Bucket, pot, pan, or any kind of deep dish or a large container with at least 20cm diameter and 20 cm height. I used a bulk yogurt bucket to make the ice lantern for this ice lantern tutorial.

How to make easy bucket ice lanterns

Step one: fill the bucket with water

To start this simple DIY project just fill a bucket, pot, bowl, or any kind of deep dish or large container that has straight sides (easy to glide off the ice lantern!) with cold water to the height of your preference, but at least 20 cm.

Step two: freeze the water

Stick the bucket outside. You need at least -5°C (23°F) to freeze the ice. Close the lid or cover it only if you might have snow falling into it. It will freeze faster when uncovered. Leave it overnight and check in the morning. You want to stop the freezing process before the whole block is completely frozen. For me, it took two nights for it was not too cold.

Step three: Open the hole with hot water

When you see that you have thick frozen walls and still air bubbles and water moving in the middle, take the bucket next to a faucet. Rinse the bucket quickly with hot water to lose the ice block. Hot water melts the ice rapidly so don’t hesitate: choose which side is up and which down, melt the way to the middle with running hot water, and close the faucet.

PRO TIP: You can also damp a sponge with warm water and gently rub the sharp edges with it.

If you pierce through the bottom of your ice lantern with hot water or it is uneven – don’t worry just put it back into the bucket and pour some water in to refreeze the bottom again.

When keeping the lantern on the balcony, choose a plate that is deep enough to hold some water if the ice starts to melt with the sudden heat of the day or sunlight.

Burn those candles safely

When you use the tea lights – remember that the aluminum cover they have will heat up and start making a hole in the ice if they are on longer times. Never leave the lit candle unguarded or next to tiny children!

How to tweak this tutorial

Use berries, leaves, evergreen branches, or other natural materials to freeze in the ice. If you want to use this kind of decoration, use a smaller container inside to make the hole ready. Put some heavy stones into the inner container, like a plastic cup to prevent it from floating. That way you can decorate the ice that stays between the two buckets. Just make sure that in warmer weather if the lantern melts, no branches are pointing out to start burning with the flame of the candle.

Have you made any ice lanterns lately?

Have you yet made your winter solstice celebration lantern? Tag me on Instagram with @blue.tea.tile, and let me know how it turned out!

Would you like to DIY something else…?