Outdoor Ice Decorations

Winter activities beg to be creative and enjoyed outdoors. These ice decorations are the perfect way to brighten up your yard or neighbourhood for Valentine's Day.

• Gather up small natural items: alder cones, ivy leaves, acorn tops, dried flowers you have in your home. 
• small glass canning jars
• jute twine
• water

Fill your small jars half full of water, coil your twine into the bottom of the jar, holding it under water until it is saturated and stays in place. Put your jars outdoors or into your freezer overnight. 

Bring your half filled, frozen jars into your kitchen. Place your leaves, flowers, cones atop the ice. Slowly pour more water overtop; almost to the rim of the jar. Use your finger to gently push down any items that float up to the top. 

Return to your freezer or the outdoors and leave overnight to freeze solid. 

To release your ice creations, bring the jars into your kitchen, allow to sit for about 10 minutes until the ice slips out of the jar, You can speed up the process by letting the jars stand in hot water for a minute and then lifting up on the twine to release them. 

Take your ice decorations outside and hang from tree branches to enjoy! Try surprising your neighbours by suspending your creations along sidewalks, pathways or bus stops!