Make Winter Lanterns

It's fun and easy to make lanterns out of snow or ice. Then set a candle in them and watch them bring a glow to the frosty darkness.

Snow Lantern

What You Need

• snow (the sticky, easy-to-pack kind is best)
• small candle
• matches

What You Do

1. Stamp down a flat place in the snow for your lantern.
2. Pack snow into balls the size of oranges.
3. Arrange the snowballs in a circle, leaving an opening on one side to add the candle later.
4. Stack another layer of snowballs on top of the first, curving this layer inward a bit.
5. Keep adding layers, curving them inward, until the top of the lantern is closed.
6. Grown-up job: light the candle and slide it into the opening.

Ice Lantern

What You Need

• two plastic bowls, one smaller than the other
• water
• duct tape
• small candle
• matches

What You Do

1. Fill bowls with water.
2. Set the small bowl inside the large one. Adjust the water levels so that the small bowl is floating.
3. Place a piece of duct tape across the top of the bowls to center the small one.
4. Carefully move the bowls outside, if the temperature is below 32˚ F, or to the freezer.
5. After the water freezes, remove the ice from the molds. If it's hard to get out, run a little warm water over the bowls. (You won't use the ice in the small bowl.)
6. Take the larger ice shape outside and place the candle inside it.
7. Grown-up job: light the candle.

Enjoy your lanterns! (Be sure to blow them out when you go inside.)

Click here for more snow-lantern tips.

Check out this how-to video.

-- Kate Hofmann