How To
How to Make Ice Candles | Winter Decorating Ideas
Light up your garden, steps, or walkway this winter with sparkling ice candles. Here’s how to make ice candles in 5 easy steps.
By Shelley Wigglesworth|Dec 10 2021|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanLight up your garden, steps, or walkway this winter with sparkling ice candles. This easy, fun, and inexpensive project is a beautiful way to create a winter wonderland outside (which may be enjoyed from a cozy window seat inside) during the cold, long, dark nights of the season. Here’s how to make ice candles in 5 easy steps.
Photo Credit : Courtesy of Tim Ames
How to Make Ice Candles
Ice Candle Materials
- Plastic containers. Choose whatever size you’d like. For a dramatic effect use several large buckets in scale with the surroundings.
- Water
- Candles
- Plastic cups or empty coffee cans. Choose containers large enough to hold the candle you intend to place in the ice.
- Sand/gravel to fill cups.
Ice Candle Directions
- Pour cold water into the plastic containers, leaving enough space at the top for the smaller cup or can to reach the rim.
- Fill the cups/cans with sand to anchor.
- Set the sand filled plastic cups in the center area of the buckets of water containers. The sand will anchor the cup in place while the water around it freezes solid.
- Place the container outside in the freezing temperature or in a freezer on a level surface. Allow the water to freeze solid. This may take several nights if using large buckets outside depending on the nightly temperatures.
- After the ice is frozen solid, remove the container from the cold temperature temporarily and remove the sand filled cup from the container. If the frozen ice will not allow easy removal of the cups, allow the ice to melt at room temperature or run warm water around the containers to loosen. Remove the sand filled cups from the center. For added shimmer roll the wet ice block in fresh snow before placing candles in the openings. Arrange outside and light to illuminate your garden, yard, or walkway and enjoy the quiet glow of the winter wonderland!
Have you ever decorated with ice candles?
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
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What a lovely way to enjoy old man winter . I know that house in Kennebunkport- where the frosty ice candles add the warmest glow to a cold winter eve!
My husband made several of these years ago using 5 gallon buckets. It did take a few days of freezing nights to freeze but the result was beautiful, they gave such a nice glow on a cold winter night. A fun project.
I make them for Christmas Eve but I also add bits of artificial berries and greens . Everyone loves them . They light the path and give a magical feel to the evening!