Take a winter walk. Collect pine sprigs, berries, seedpods, and whatever else catches your eye. Drop them in a mold, add water, and freeze. When you pop them out, you’ve got nature ornaments made entirely of ice, ready to hang on an outdoor tree like sparkling winter jewels.
This is one of those winter crafts for kids that’s half art project, half science experiment, and completely free.
Materials
Supplies:
- Natural materials such as evergreen sprigs, holly berries, pinecones, acorns, seedpods, twigs
- Ribbon or twine (for hanging loops)
- Water
Tools:
- Small baking molds, muffin pans, cookie cutters, or silicone molds (any shape works)
- A freezer, or outdoor temperatures below 32°F (0°C)
Don’t have molds? Disposable cups, yogurt containers, or even a bundt cake pan work. Bigger molds make bigger ornaments. No ribbon? Strips of fabric, yarn, or even dental floss will hold.
Steps
- Go on a nature walk. Head outside and collect interesting natural materials. Look for things with color and texture: red berries, green evergreen needles, brown acorns, fuzzy seedpods, interesting bark. Anything small enough to fit in your mold works.
- Arrange your materials. Place your collected treasures in the bottom of each mold. This is the artistic part. Try different combinations: all green with evergreen sprigs, or mixed with berries, seeds, and leaves. Remember, the bottom of the mold becomes the front of the ornament.
- Add the hanger. Cut a piece of ribbon about 8 inches long. Fold it in half and lay the two ends into the mold so the loop hangs over the edge. This becomes your hanging loop once the ornament is frozen.
- Pour water. Slowly fill each mold with water, covering the natural materials and ribbon ends. Don’t fill all the way to the top in case the water expands as it freezes.
- Freeze. If it’s below freezing outside, set the molds on a flat surface outdoors and wait several hours or overnight. If it’s not cold enough outside, use a freezer. Either way, the water needs to freeze solid.
- Pop them out. Once frozen hard, remove the ornaments from the molds. If they’re stuck, run warm water briefly over the bottom of the mold. They’ll slide right out.
- Hang them up. Use the ribbon loops to hang your ice ornaments on outdoor tree branches, fence posts, or porch railings. Step back and admire.
Grownup help needed: The nature walk (supervision for younger kids) and handling boiling water if you want crystal-clear ice (see tips).
TIP: You can also add fruit slices, sunflower seeds, nuts, and dried corn kernels to your ornaments. As the temperature rises, the ornaments will start to melt. Some of the treasures inside will make tasty treats for the birds in your neighborhood!
