Frozen votive candle holders that look like glass
At one time PInterest and Facebook were flooded with images and videos of bowling ball size ice balls. Fantastic patterns radiated from the center, and the colors were beautiful. The ice balls were made by filling water balloons, adding to each a couple drops of food coloring, and leaving them in freezing temperatures for several days. I had to try it.
When the weather turned colder here, I bought some balloons. Water balloons the size I wanted weren’t available so I just bought regular balloons. I also didn’t have any food coloring, so I skipped that, too. When the weather was well below freezing, I filled the balloons inside and carried them outside, setting them on the grass. A couple of days later the balloons began to tear and like an egg opening, an ice sculpture emerged.
I’ve done this several times now with varying sizes of balloons and I have learned that there is a tool that helps with the filling. It often comes included when you buy a large bag of water balloons. It isn’t strictly necessary, since the balloon can be afixed directly to the faucet, but it does make it easier.
Depending on how long you leave the balloons to freeze and what the temperature outdoors is, you’ll find that sometimes concave bowls develop, other times solid spheres form. When the result is a bowled dish, I like to set them on the front walk with a flameless votive candle inside.
Below are photos of some of the results. In 2024 the ice was crystal clear and lasted a long time, 2017 the bowls melted the same day, in 2015 they lasted a few days.
2024
2017
2015
2014
