Alaska News

Let your holiday glow with ice lanterns

There's no hiding it. My ice globe obsession continues. There are so many experiments to perform and perfect -- and with an infant now in the family, so little time. The good news is ice globes are easy to make. And the payoff is high. They are a charming way to add a festive glow to Alaska's cold, dark winter days, and they brighten the ambiance of any setting. There's just something magical about the ability to capture fire in ice.

Ice globes, ice luminaries or ice lanterns are frozen forms with a hollow center that allow space and venting for a candle.

My current favorites, which have been my favorite for years, are the globes. Balloons are the key to creating these orbs of frozen water that catch and cast the flicker of candlelight.

In Norse mythology, the space where the worlds of fire and ice meet is the place of creation, a place of light, air and warmth. With winter solstice approaching, and the sun starting its slow return, the start of a new year is itself among the ways we celebrate light. And ice lanterns are an easy and fitting way to dress up our surroundings for the occasion.

Here's what you need:

• Balloons (the thicker the better)

• Water

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• A place to freeze them once filled -- in your freezer or outdoors

• A candle or perhaps LED lights

• A cordless drill helps in creating the chimney

To assemble, fill each balloon with water, tie off and set outside to freeze. If you want a rounded top, make sure all of the air is out of the balloon before you close it. If you want a flat top (which can be helpful for stacking), blow a puff of air into the balloon before closing it.

Freezing times will vary depending on outside temperature and balloon size. I generally check mine after 10 to 12 hours. Sometimes you will need twice as long to get the effect you're after.

When it's done is determined by how thick an ice shell has formed. Think of half-frozen ice cubes -- ice on the sides and still hollow and filled with water on the inside. This is what you are going for. You can make your globes as thick or as thin as you want. Thin globes are light and pretty; thicker globes allow for more light play. I personally think the really thick ones are the most attractive. But to be fair, every globe I've made has had it's own unique character and charm. Even the duds are redeemable. Every crack, every seeming imperfection adds something special.

Release the water by first cutting the balloon away from the ice form and turning the globe over. The bottom should be thinner than elsewhere, and breaking through to drain the water should be easy. You will need a hole big enough for a candle. On the other side of the globe you will need to create a chimney for the flame to vent. This can be done with a drill, or by letting the candle do the work for you. If using the heat from the candle, make sure to prop the globe up off the ground so the candle can breathe until a chimney is melted through.

You're almost done. Place the candle on the ground, light it, and place the lantern over it. Voila!

Now try not to make a dozen more. Or do try, and have fun doing it.

There are many options: Distilled versus tap water; thick versus thin globes; food coloring added to the water after it's in the balloon to create colored spheres. I've read that when temperatures are at or below 0, you can create a crackle effect by pouring cold water over the lantern.

A few years back we wrote about a woman from Minnesota who had passion and knowhow about all matters icy and who turned her talent into a business venture. Jennifer Hedberg assembled all the needed parts into ice globe kits, available through the company Wintercraft. Until now, I hadn't given her supplies a try. Party store balloons and mixing bowls were working just fine for my backyard assembly line.

I have to say, her balloons actually are nicer than anything I've used thus far. Her bases work well and the clips provided make it unnecessary to tie off your balloon with a knot. This year's field test crop produced the most uniform globes to date.

More recently, Hedberg has added a blog that is full of her creative ideas, tips and encouragement.

My family and I have used ice globes as gifts, to light porches, and brighten winter paths to lakeside cabins.

Before I set you loose, a few final details.

• Important rule No. 1: Have fun.

• Important rule No. 2: be safe.

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I like to assume that anyone living in Alaska knows it's cold outside and dresses appropriately. And that ice and water can make for slippery situations. But it seems inevitable that there's always someone who needs the reminder to dress warmly, protect your skin, and stay dry.

Contact Jill Burke at jill(at)alaskadispatch.com.

Jill Burke

Jill Burke is a former writer and columnist for Alaska Dispatch News.

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