ice luminaries

I had my sister's three girls for an overnight on Monday. And since they are my most supportive side-kicks for any project I suggest, we tend to get crafty. Our time together usually starts with a little browse through pinterest deciding what we are going to do, make, build or sew. 

But this time I got my idea from a newspaper article my mom had cut out for me. It showed these ice globes and told enough of the how-to's that I knew we had-to. We ran to Target and bought the balloons, came back home and started our project by filling up 20 very large water balloons at the kitchen sink. A perfect project for a very enthused group of girls.

I loaded up two big storage tubs and took them outside in the -8 degree night. One by one, I lifted each balloon and placed it on the snow. The plan was for them to freeze all the way around, from the outside in. But I had no idea snow is such a tremendous insulator! Five hours later, in sub zero weather, the bottoms of the balloons still had not frozen.

But I was frozen. And I wasn't going to stay up any later watching water freeze. So, working very quickly, I cut the balloon off  the top of the frozen dome, and let the water gush out the bottom, flipped it over and found I had a bowl.

The next morning it was even colder and Mara and I worked hard moving the bowls to the picnic table and placing tea lights in the middle. We actually had to go inside a few times to warm up our legs...it was brutal. But totally worth it!

I'm inspired and excited to keep experimenting. Maybe I'll put the balloons on the driveway, and see if they freeze all the way around. I'm not sure. But I do love having a new winter hobby that brightens these long, cold nights!