Flame or teardrop shapes for ice lanterns

Ice flames and teardrops -- moderately difficult and not candle-friendly

You can't burn a candle in a flame-shaped ice lantern, but with LED lighting it brightens the night in a special way.

This ice flame has a port in the side for inserting
a LED light or string of lights.  The light here is
a hockey-puck-sized battery-powered, color-changing
one that is powered by AA batteries.

I've used two ways to make an ice flame or teardrop that is hollow and has a hole for inserting a light. (For the "hanging drop" -- which has a long pointed top -- see the separate post.)

An ordinary "helium quality" balloon is filled with water
and placed in a bowl for support.  The top can be closed
with a clip, but tying it produces a "pointier" top to the
flame shape.  (To make an even sharper, more elongated
flame shape the balloon can be tied and hung from a
support by the knot;  see the separate post. )

When I use balloons to make globe-shaped ice lanterns, I blow some air into them and use the flattened top as the base;  those are turned over with the unfrozen bottom becoming the opening in the top.  For the flame shapes, the completed lantern's base is the bottom of the balloon as it froze.  This bottom can be kept open by freezing the mold on the ground or allowed to freeze by setting it on a surface that promotes chilling.

If the access is through the bottom of the flame, some arrangement needs to be made for getting a light inside, and the flame needs to be supported to keep it upright.  Getting lights into this configuration can be complicated because there are few ways to hold the flame upright without sealing the hole in the underside.

This ice flame has an open bottom, which requires
some kind of access for lighting.  I made a base from
a small square ice lantern, melted a hole through the
bottom of that, and set it on pillars that were frozen
in shot-glass molds.  That produced a hole under
the lantern through which a LED light or a string
of lights can be inserted.

For short-term use as a centerpiece indoors, the flame could be welded to an ice base after placing a remote-controlled LED light inside, and it wouldn't be necessary to provide for changing the batteries.  To display the flame outdoors, however, it is easier to use one with access from the side.

This flame-shape ice lantern has a hole in the
back through which a string of LED lights
has been inserted.  

To create a hole in the side during the freezing process, the two balloons are placed close together.  Where they touch, freezing is delayed.  The ice expands as it freezes, enlarging the contact patch.  If the balloons were on the ground, the bases would also remain open, so they need to sit on a cold surface with air circulating below them.

Two ice teardrops being frozen in balloons.  To make sure
that the bases don't remain unfrozen, I set them to freeze on
a metal picnic table.  The openings in the sides are created by
allowing the balloons to touch each other while freezing.

Unmolding these lanterns can be messy, since water pours out of the side as soon as the balloon is broken.  A deep sink or a tub is the best place to cut the balloon open.

The hole in the side may be large enough to insert the desired light, but if it isn't, it can be enlarged.

The ice flame is resting on a cradle of bubble wrap while its
hole is enlarged by spinning a metal bowl of hot water over
the original small opening.  This should be done shortly after
unmolding the lantern because exposing it to a temperature
shock can cause cracking if the lantern has cooled further.

Because the balloon was placed in a bowl with a flat bottom and frozen on a cold metal tabletop, the bottom is solid and flat.  It can be "welded" in place on a flat ice base for display.

This ice flame's opening is toward the left side
which is on the back with respect to the sidewalk.
The base is an upside-down Arctic Ice Lantern.
Illumination is from a waterproof, remote-controlled,
color-changing LED light sold by Wintercraft.

LED lighting doesn't provide the gentle ambiance of candlelight, and it tends to eat a lot of batteries, but it has some advantages over candles.  It doesn't melt the ice lanterns, and it doesn't require an oxygen source and chimney.  For ice flames, it is essential.

LED-lit flame ice lanterns with an LED-lit bean tower behind.

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