how to make an ice ornament

Embrace The Cold Weather & Make an Ice Ornament!

Take advantage of the freezing temperatures to work with nature to make a natural wonder. This nature art is so easy to make that it will soon become part of your winter traditions! 

These suncatchers reflect the brightness of winter and are like a time-capsule reminder of its temporary nature. Collecting the materials is all part of the fun and makes for a fun reason to venture out and appreciate the winter season.

All you need are some treasures found in nature, a shallow dish, water, and string. 

❌ Skip the glitter and avoid plastic choosing only materials that can again return to nature without leaving a trace. 

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Step One: Gather Your Materials

Gather the natural materials to decorate your ice ornament.

Take a walk and forage for available grasses, leaves, twigs, seedpods, or whatever is in your garden. You can use an app like iNaturalist to learn to identify your local plant life. 

You can also examine your compost and use fruit or citrus peels.

 

Next, you will need a shallow dish to shape the ice ornament. Get creative and explore different shapes and sizes. 

A muffin tray allows you to make multiple small shapes in the same go. A Bundt pan creates a wreath effect. You can also check your recycling bin and repurpose any container. 

ice ornaments

Step Two: Build Your Ornament

💧 Fill a shallow dish with water⁠

➰ Place a piece of string so it is submerged through the decoration. Ensure the string is long and strong enough to hang. ⁠

🌿 Add your items. Let nature take its course. The items will float around so placement will be approximate. ⁠

ice ornaments

Step Three: Ice, Ice, Baby

❄️. Leave your ice ornament outside to freeze completely. ⁠ We used an empty cooler to cover them for protection from squirrels and birds. 

 
ice ornaments

Keep reading for the finishing touches!

alannah hardcastle
Author

Alannah Hardcastle

Passionate about leveraging the power of communications to drive positive change, Alannah knows how to engage communities with purpose. She’s particularly keen on building a diverse and inclusive community that upholds values to create a social and environmental impact.

Step Four: Free Your Ornament From The Mold

🔥 Bring your ice ornament inside to unmold. With just a bit of time, the decoration should separate from the outer container on its own.

Do not try and pull it out by the string or you may lose your holder! Let nature takes its course and it will gently thaw itself from the mold. 

ice ornaments

Hang It Up Somewhere You or Your Neighbours Can Appreciate it

Voila!

Hang your creation in the shade to make them last. Choose natural decorations that won’t harm the environment as the decoration melts.

You can recollect the string to make another ornament. ⁠

🐦These crafts can be made to support birds in your area. By adding berries, nuts or seeds birds will have treats to snack on as the ornaments melt in the sun.⁠

Read our other blog post to learn How to Make an Ice Lantern!

ice ornaments
We would love to see your icy creations! 📷 Share them at the link below or tag @randomactsofgreen on social media!
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