Arctic {Ice} Wreath

Since we are getting cooler in temperatures and closer to Christmas, I wanted to share an inexpensive project for all my fellow northern dwellers.  If it gets below freezing in the winter where you live, you can do this project!  It's a fun one for kids and adults.  You can use simple things from your backyard to decorate it, or raid your craft supplies for a little 'extra'.

You may be thinking, ok, it's a ring of ice.  Why do I need to follow a tutorial to see how to make a ring of ice?  Because of the tips IN the tutorial.  That and all the loving care I put into making this tutorial for my readers.  Really.  Read it... it will ooooze off the screen at you.

You will need a form that has a hole in the centre.  I am using my bunt cake pan.  You could use an angle food cake pan, or for a larger wreath, a serving platter with the well in the centre.  If you're really crafty, you can just make a form to suit your needs.

Optional, some filler for your wreath.  However, if you get a crack in your wreath, the filler will help hold it together.  twigs from the yard or sprigs of faux floral stems work great.

I also used a few frozen cranberries I had.  I put a few cranberries in the bottom, then some sprigs of greenery and a dash of gold glitter.

Find something to weigh down the stems, otherwise when you pour in the water, they will float.  I filled a few sandwich bags with ice and set them on top.  Next, pour a little water into your wreath mould.  Enough to freeze some of the filler, not enough to touch the bags of ice sitting on top.  Otherwise, they will freeze to the wreath.  

*Note:  The water you use is going to affect the clarity of your ice.  You can use tap water, which will give you milky / cloudy white ice.  You can use filtered water and then boil it a couple times to remove some of the impurities, this may give you clearer ice depending on the quality of your water supply.  If you want crisp, clear ice like glass, I would recommend distilled water.  You can buy it cheaply at the grocery / drug store, or if you are patient, you can make some.  I've done it before.  It takes a long time....

In this tutorial, I am using regular tap water since that is what most people will have best access to.  I want you to see how it will look with tap water, being cloudy white.

Make some room in your freezer.  Move over popcicles and buns!  If it's super cold where you live, just stick it outside to freeze.

Once the water has started to freeze, pull off the bags of ice weighing down the filler and add more water to cover the filler.  Return to the freezer.

Now that it's completely frozen, invert the mould onto a towel or something with a little padding.  Let the wreath fall out of the mould on it's own.  Don't twist the mould or run it under hot water.  Doing this could cause it to crack and we don't want that any more then whats going to happen naturally.  You could give it a tap here and there to encourage it if it takes a while.

Tie some strong, wide ribbon or a strip of fabric onto your wreath and hang it on the front door to wow and greet your guests!  Is that not stunning??  Who wouldn't love to see this when they knock on your door for that holiday party you're hosting.

If it messes up and breaks, just thaw it out and refreeze it again.  No big commitment!  If the temperature starts to warm up, either let it melt or store it in the freezer, in the mould you used.

See?  I told you this tutorial would ooooze loving care :)