7 Steps to Make Large Flower & Ice Luminaries in the Winter
Flower and ice luminaries are a beautiful fun and creative way to add a special touch to any occasion.
I’ve made these large flower & ice luminaries with flowers in them for 10 winters in honor of my late son, Luke. Which means bearer of light.
He was also almost a Christmas baby born on the 22nd. It has always seemed so fitting to make them for all these reasons especially since I live in Alaska where we seem to have endless darkness a few months out of the year. As well as on the 21st we start gaining light a few minutes every day.
So let’s light up the winter, but please don’t forget the flowers!
Gather supplies:
5 Gallon Bucket
Flower bouquet of choice (I look for the reduced price ones since I’ll be freezing them in water)
Flower Snips or Scissors
Clear Wide Packing Tape
Battery Powered Holiday String Lights (I like the ones with a timer)
Directions:
Use the clear packing tape to tape the flowers with their stems upside down around the inside of a dry room temperature 5 gallon bucket. Make sure to tap very well (it also helps to strip the leaves off the lower stems of the flowers0
Gently Fill buckets with water covering the flowers. I just use tap water from the faucet.
Freeze outside overnight (at least 24hrs) at 20 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.
Bring inside to warm buckets about 10-15 minutes inside, cut any stems flush with the edge of the bucket or frozen water line. You want the luminary to sit flat once turned upside down.
Take back outside and gently tip over, making sure as you tip the sides of the luminary are frozen. If not freeze for a few more hours.
Once you turn over the bucket, the center is not frozen,,, the bottom aka the top is thin, punch through and empty the water out and then put in the lights.
Put the battery pack of the string lights in ziploc bags so you can reuse them later. The ziploc protects the lights from getting wet.
They look stunning during the day to.
You can watch a quick video on how to step over on our Instagram.
