Sometimes it's not cold enough outdoors to make ice lanterns. One thing to try in the home freezer is little ice figures -- ice "snowmen," or "icemen."
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A tiny ice "snowman" on an
LED-illuminated ice base |
There are several devices for freezing ice spheres. These little figures use two sizes of molds.
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| A TOVOLO mold for making a single ice sphere |
The top and bottom of the spheres can be flattened by rubbing them with a metal bowl filled with hot water.
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The flat area was produced by rubbing a
flat-bottomed metal bowl across the end
of the ice sphere. |
The spheres can be stacked, then left in the freezer to solidify.
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The flattened ends "weld"
together, allowing stacking |
With a small-diameter electric drill, make holes for the desired features.
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| Drilling a hole for an arm |
Twigs or stems from garden plants such as garlic chives and aster seedheads can be dipped in cold water and stuck into the holes to provide arms, eyes, buttons, etc.
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The eyes are individual garlic chive
seed pods, and the arms are their
stems. The hair is from a hydrangea,
and the buttons and nose are from asters |
Raised up on a chunk of ice left from before a thaw, the tiny ice figure reassures passers-by that colder weather will return, and with it, more ice lanterns.
For larger icemen, click here
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