How to Make an Ice Lantern with Winter Berries

Ice lanterns are so beautiful for winter celebrations! Read on to get the easy tutorial to create these pretty ice candleholders.

There’s something that’s just so lovely about the way that lights make ice glow, isn’t there? These pretty little winter berry ice lanterns are the perfect project to enjoy a wintery glow this season, especially if you live somewhere snowy.

You can make them, set them outside, and they’ll last for days! Light up your front porch or walkway with some pretty ice lanterns to lead the way to your home.

Psst — if you love this idea, be sure to sign up for our VIP group below and I’ll send more great wintery ideas right to ya!

And I think these other posts would be right up your alley, too:

• How to Make a DIY Winter Checkers Game
• DIY Christmas Wreath With Vintage Toy Cars
• Homemade Mulling Spices Recipe
• Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining During Winter
• Giant Cardboard Christmas Trees

How to Display Your Ice Creations

These pretty ice lanterns work best in a cold environment, so if you’re decorating your front porch for the holidays, they’d be perfect! You could even incorporate fall leaves instead of winter berries, if you’re mixing them in with your porch pumpkins.

They’d look beautiful lining a cement walkway leading up to your porch, too.

Or even better, if you’re having a winter wedding, line the aisle or your reception with ice lanterns and watch your guests fall in love. Just remember to never leave your candles unattended, no matter where you display your ice lanterns.

So let’s make some!

DIY Ice Lantern Supplies

Materials

• Empty cans in two sizes, so that the small cans can fit inside the big cans and leave about ¾” clearance on all sides
• Winter greenery and berries (either fresh or faux)
• Water
• Masking tape
• Freezer
• Votive candles
• Optional: small rocks
• Container slightly larger than the big can

Make Time: 30 Minutes (Plus Freezing Time)

Creating Your Ice Lanterns

1. Clean your cans and remove the labels. Gather your greenery and berries (Trader Joe’s has a great selection that’s really affordable!).
2. Place a small can inside a large can. Snip off sprigs of berries and greenery and slip them into the spaces between the cans. We used about 4 sprigs of pine and 4 sprigs of berries each.
3. Fill the space between the cans with water. Leave about ½” of space at the top to allow it to expand as it freezes. Place a strip of masking tape over the top of both cans, securing the small can down so that it doesn’t float to the top. (You also have the option here to place a few rocks in the small can to weigh it down.)
4. If you live somewhere cold, you can leave them outside overnight to freeze! If not, place them in your freezer overnight.
5. The next day, remove the tape and place the outer can in a hot water bath for about 10-15 seconds. Grabbing onto the small can, start to wiggle the ice lantern out of the large can as it loosens.
6. Once the large can is removed, pour hot water into the small can and wiggle it free in the same manner.
7. If you need to keep the lanterns cold, place them back in the freezer or outside. 
8. Light your votives inside the ice lanterns and enjoy!

Other Low-Cost DIY Projects

Don’t you love DIY projects that are practically free? We all have so many supplies just hiding in our cabinets. Check out a few other of our low-cost DIY projects after you try the ice lanterns.

• Brilliant Ways to Reuse a Peanut Butter Jar
• Pressed Flower Bookmarks (Very Kid-Friendly!)
• Easy Party Hats
• Finger-Knit Garlands

Have fun, friends! And if you try and love this DIY project, I’d love for you to rate it below. xoxo

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means that I receive a small commission should you make a purchase via one of these links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks as always for your support!