Eden Project

How to make an ice sculpture Christmas decoration

These icy Christmas decorations are not only beautiful to hang in the garden and great fun for kids to make; they also offer a tasty supper for passing wildlife when they’ve melted.

Hanging ice decoration

To make this this one you’ll need:

• A saucer or small plate
• A selection of leaves (holly and ivy works best), seeds and berries (raid the kitchen if you can’t find any berries growing outside)
• Food colouring
• Ribbon, to hang

Here’s how to do it:

1. Arrange your leave, nuts and berries in an interesting pattern on your saucer.
2. Carefully pour some water into the saucer. Try adding a few drops of food colouring if you’d like to give your ice a coloured tint. If your leaves, nuts and berries swim around a bit, rearrange them into your desired pattern.
3. Fold the ribbon in half and place the folded end on the saucer in the water, so that once the water has frozen you will be able to tie the two ends of the ribbon together.
4. To freeze the decoration, leave it outside over night or, if it’s not cold enough, place it on a flat surface in your freezer.
5. Once the decoration has frozen, pour a little warm water on the underside of your saucer to help ease the ice away.
6. Hang the decoration up outside. It will not only be beautiful, but as it melts it will become a tasty treat for birds and other wildlife.

Ice candle holder

To make this one you’ll need:

• Leaves and berries (holly is ideal)
• A 2-litre plastic drinks bottle
• A plastic cup or yoghurt pot
• A tea-light candle

Here’s how to make it:

1. Cut the bottom off the plastic bottle.
2. Half-fill the bottle bottom with water. Try adding a few drops of food colouring if you’d like to give your ice a coloured tint.
3. Place the plastic cup or yogurt pot in the water in the plastic bottle. Weigh it down with something like sugar, so that the cup/pot almost sinks to the bottom.
4. Place the leaves and berries in the water around the edges, in between the bottle and the cup/pot.
5. Leave your candle holder outside overnight, or on a flat surface in your freezer, until it is completely frozen.
6. Remove the plastic cup/pot by emptying it of any contents you used to weigh it down and then pouring in some warm water so that it easily comes away from the ice.
7. You might need to also pour some warm water on the outside of the plastic bottle so that the ice can be easily removed.
8. Place your finished candle holder on to a saucer, then light a tea-light candle and drop it inside, for a shimmering table decoration.

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Art, Christmas, kids, Play