Our neighbor gave us this ice block candle holder for Christmas. She actually made it herself too!
It’s one large block of ice that has some berries and Christmas tree pieces frozen in it. She said that it took a few times to get right as the weather was to cold and the ice was freezing to fast. This was the first one that turned out and it’s extremely cool!
It now sits out on our front step for all to enjoy.
We’ve been debating on how she created this. The hole on the top is the only hole on the ice block and yet it’s hollow inside. If you know how to make one of these ice block candle holders, please do share.
Oh,that is really extraordinary!
It’s such a beautiful bowl!
I would like to try to make one.
Searching for instructions for that candle holder was a challenge, because I kept getting “ice candle” results, where chipped ice was put into a candle mold, then hot wax poured into the mold, which resulted in a “swiss chees” type effect. I did find instructions for your kind eventually, even if it doesn’t have photos: http://forums.organicgardening.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5641078301/m/4751017501
Then I asked hubby, since he works with molds with his metal casting.
He’s thinking if a medicine bottle cap large enough to hold a taper candle was super-glued to the bottom of a used food can that had a little hole punched into the center of the bottom — so that later on when pouring hot water into center mold, some hot water could reach the med cap to release from the ice base.
I would guess by filling the sides up 2/3 or so, then freezing, then putting in deco, and putting in more water for the final freeze.
I think making a mold that would hold a votive or tea candle would be easier, so that glueing the bottle cap part could be skipped LOL
Here’s a really good instructional, including photos:
http://mickeytheblackcat.blogspot.com/2007/12/making-ice-lanterns.html
I’m going to give it a shot. 🙂
Ours was bigger than that, but thanks for the tutorial!
I make simple ice sculptures for work sometimes, and the easy way to do it is making a polycarbonate mold of an object, then removing the mold and and filling it with water and freezing. You can buy the stuff at home depot and it’s easy to work with. But I have made candle holders that way.
I make a simpler version of these every year to line my driveway when guests come. I just fill a plastic ice cream bucket with water…..put some whole cranberries and some winter greenery into the water…then in the centre I put a 10 oz can (use rocks to weight it down). Often if it’s cold enough I simply put them out on my deck and they will freeze in a day or so…otherwise just put into your deep freeze. Once frozen solid I simply let a drizzle of hot water from the tap run around the can to thaw slightly for removal.
I put votive cantles in them and they sparkle and look very pretty and festive. The one pictured is definitely lovely and more manicured but at least this might help you for now.
You can buy moulds just to make these or put one container inside another and pour water inbetween. Gloria said it nicely.