Elegant DIY Ice Lanterns

So, the other day I had an idea, a wonderfully awful idea!  Let me explain…

See, you may have noticed my fasciation with wreaths by now?  Well, what you may not know is that I actually have an even more fierce, let’s call it obsession, with ice lanterns.  Not terribly original, granted.  But I am obsessed with making them better every year.  I want more, faster. I want to streamline the production and have the fabricating and displaying down to a scientific art!

I made beautifully large ones one year with mop pails and yogurt containers.  They turned out really well, and I will replicate them of course.. I’ll switch it up a bit and keep trying different ways, cause it’s a quirk.  

Anyhow, the wonderful part of my idea was juice cartons!  What a great way to reuse those paper cartons, right?  The awful part – I had to dig through the rubbish bin to get them.  

Elegant DIY Ice Lanterns

What’s really great about these is that you can re-use a bunch of stuff before it’s destined for the recycling / trash.  

Materials:

• Juice cartons
• Scissors
• Small applesauce / snack container
• Masking tape
• Water
• Freezer or freezing temperatures outdoors

Instructions

1. Cut the top off the carton, about an inch down from the ‘roof’
2. Fill the carton with water
3. Place the small snack cup on top, with the top of the cup level with the top of the carton.  Water will be displaced
4. Use masking tape to secure the container in the water, centered
5. Freeze thouroughly
6. Remove snack cup and remove lantern from carton. 
7. Place a tea light candle into the indentation made by the snack cup, place outdoors, light and enjoy! 

Welcome your guests this holiday season with a beautifully lighted path. They don’t need to know you were rummaging through the trash before hand.  Happy Holiday Season