Frozen Candle Lantern Craft

If any of you enjoyed creating the frozen suncatcher craft from my last blog post, here is another fun frozen craft that is perfect for welcoming in the new year. This is a simple, yet stunning frozen candle lantern craft that will fill your New Year’s Eve with all the “oohs and aahs” of a fireworks display. 

To make this craft really successful, you will need something to illuminate it. Before you begin, make sure you have a couple of small candles or electric tea lights on hand (even birthday candles will work, if that’s all you have available) 

Here are some of the supplies you ‘ll need before you begin: 

• A larger container
• A smaller container
• Water
• Freezing temperatures (or a freezer)

1. The first thing I did was gather my containers… I did a lot of experimentation with this craft and learned a couple of things. When you gather your containers, you can use anything you have on hand. The important thing to note is that you’ll be putting a smaller container inside a larger one, and you’ll want enough space between the walls of the two containers to add embellishments and have at least a half-inch of ice to form.  Just a note: Please do not use paper cups, even if they have a plastic coating. If you are using tin cans, remove the paper wrapper. Paper absorbs the water as it freezes, and then it can be really challenging to remove it. 

2. After l had all of my containers picked out and sized accordingly, I took my traditional stroll around the neighborhood to collect any nature items that caught my fancy. I collected any I thought would make a fun decoration for my candle lantern project. 

Once all your supplies are gathered, it is time to create.  

 3. Place your smaller container inside the larger one.

 4. Next, add some of the nature items you picked out between the two containers, then fill the center container with water or rocks to weigh it down.

5.  When you have your decorations arranged, carefully add water to the space between the two containers, and—if it’s cold enough—put it outside. If not, place it in your freezer. If you intend to light your candle lantern on New Year’s Eve, I strongly recommend creating it a day or two before the big event.

6. When the water is completely frozen, carefully extract the ice creation from the container. It may be that you need to run a little warm water over the bottom of the container to loosen it up enough to come free. 

And, in case you’re curious, this is what happens when you fill a paper cup with water to weigh it down: 

Basically, it’s impossible to get it out of the center of your lantern. Having said that, I also recommend that before you intend to use the candle lanterns, take them out of their containers to make sure they turned out the way you envisioned. If, like me, you have to go back to the drawing board, give yourself plenty of time to make and freeze another one. The finished lanterns can just go back into the freezer until you’re ready to light them. 

7. When it finally seems dark enough outside, put a light inside your frozen candle lantern, and let the world enjoy a lovely and beautiful way to welcome in a New Year!