Ice balls are multifunctional, easy to make, do not require serious material costs and are very beautiful.
The area around a private house can be decorated with entire compositions of such balls, decorate the paths to the house with them, and even ice balls laid out in random order in the snow completely transform the yard, giving it a festive look.
Such balls look very beautiful as candlesticks - small “tablet” candles heat the surface of the ball while burning and a natural depression is created that does not allow the candles to slide.
To decorate the courtyard of a multi-story city house, ice balls are suitable as unusually beautiful tree pendants.
Creating ice balls begins with preparing the dye - it can be gouache diluted in water, culinary food coloring, or pigments for interior paint.
The dye is diluted in water poured into plastic bottles, or poured directly into the mold for making balls.
The most common inflatable balls are used as a form. Using a household funnel, pour a small amount of dye into the ball or add it dry, then add water from the tap until the ball inflates to the desired size.
It’s best to carry out the procedure of filling the balls with water over a bathtub - if the “mold” breaks, you won’t have to clean it up floor coverings colorful puddles.
If you plan to use ice balls as hanging decorations, it is recommended to insert a long, strong thread before tying them into the mold.
The last step in making ice decorations is freezing. The blanks are laid out on the snow, trying to avoid the balls touching, and left until the water in the mold completely freezes.
If possible, after one and a half to two hours, it is recommended to turn the balls over to the other side - this way they freeze faster.
If jewelry is made in a city apartment, then the blanks are placed in the freezer.
A day later on ice balls lightly cut the rubber shell and completely release the jewelry from the mold.
Alternatively, you can use rubber gloves rather than inflatable balls as a form - you get very original and funny ice “palms”.
To make colored ice blanks of square or rectangular shape, you can use 5-liter plastic bottles.
If you don’t have any dye on hand, don’t be upset - you can put spruce branches, flower petals, rowan berries or leaves of indoor plants into the mold.
Multi-colored ice balls can serve as an excellent material for any art object. You can simply scatter them in the garden or yard, around the territory kindergarten, or build or decorate some kind of structure, make snowmen (especially if you freeze water while wearing rubber gloves), etc. We settled on building a multi-colored pyramid of 400 ice balls.
This is my second and I hope not my last post in this community. In the fall, with volunteers from the city of Glazov (Udmurtia), we added bright colors gray city everyday life, now we've taken on winter street art.
We chose a city park as the location for our winter art object. Firstly, there are more children here, and secondly, there is a Sports House nearby where you can get water for the balloons. We talked with the heads of the organizations - they happily agreed to help us.
Where did the idea come from? Surely, many have more than once come across a guide to making ice balls with the addition of food coloring. 
According to the “recipe” everything turns out easy and simple. In reality it turned out to be much more complicated. But as always. Firstly, it is not indicated anywhere how long it takes for the ball to freeze? How much water should I pour, what is better to tint? It turned out, no matter how funny and banal it may sound, but the balloon is filled with water only under pressure - you won’t be able to go outside with a funnel and a “one and a half”. All that remains is a tap or hose with water. Well whole line subtleties that we encountered in the process.
For example, the size - it’s impossible to freeze a large-volume ball (3-4 liters). At t -20, only a layer of 5-6 centimeters freezes overnight. There is water inside. It also begins to freeze, but later, and the ice “shell” bursts open - the ball cracks. It was also a mistake to bury the ball under the snow - in such a “house” it almost does not freeze.
Here is an example of a 3-liter ball that spent the whole night under the snow. In principle, the hemispheres turned out to be very “working” - you can use them as a vase for Christmas tree branches, or turn them upside down and place a lamp under it - it will be beautiful.
Through trial and error, we decided to settle on balls measuring 10*10 - 15*15 centimeters. These froze overnight in the freezer.
So, we are sharing our method of making ice balls.
1. First of all, we prepared a concentrate from gouache - 1 jar per 1.5 liters.
2. Pour the concentrate into the ball “to the brim” through a funnel. You can use food coloring in case there is a high chance that someone will decide to taste the giant candies. We took ordinary balls. You can freeze balls in the shape of Mickey Mouse, various animals, or rubber gloves (I personally froze a glove from a package of hair dye - it turned out funny hand, which can be attached to a snowman in wet snow).
3. Then we put it on the tap and “inflate”. It’s more convenient for two people: one holds the ball to the tap, the second turns the water on/off. They tied the ball without ropes and other things - with a loop from the neck itself (or whatever it’s called)
4. At first we wanted to fill the balloons directly on the street, connecting to the tap of the Sports House and leading the hose outside - but the hose froze, we steamed it for an hour and a half, then we decided to fill it directly in the toilet and transport it to the place with a wheelbarrow. It’s more economical in terms of water consumption, and it’s also more comfortable in the warmth than in the cold of -25.
6. Therefore, we froze them right in the park, placing the balls in the snow. We tried not to deepen it too much and place it so that the balls did not touch each other.
7. It took two hours to fill the balloons. During this time, the first batch became crusty. Left for another 2 hours. When they arrived, they discovered that the balls froze perfectly on top, but below, where they came into contact with the snow, there was water. Conclusion - in order for the balls to freeze faster and better, they need to be turned over after a couple of hours, and even better, reduce the area of contact with the snow as much as possible.
Having turned all the balls over, we decided to leave them overnight, covering them with snow from the kids.
However, this did not help - several young vandals remembered where they saw a multi-colored carpet during the day and, having unearthed the balls, began throwing them. Fortunately, the park workers drove them away in time.
8. Most of the balls still survived. The next day they began to dig them out and, after holding them a little longer in the cold, took off their “clothes.” The rubber can be removed very easily - just tear it with a knife, keys or a stick. Some balls never froze completely - they just took off their “clothes” and water poured out of them.
9. You can do whatever you want with the resulting balls. These are both wonderful self-sufficient decorations and an excellent building material. Our choice fell on the construction of a pyramid.
We secure the first level with snow so that it does not move apart.
We water each level with water - otherwise the structure will move apart due to the unevenness of the balls.
It’s a pity that we didn’t have a normal camera at hand - we filmed it on a phone. But not every camera, or rather photographer, will convey the magical play of reflections of lanterns and garlands on the edges of ice balls. And what a beauty it is during the day.
It was only later that the idea dawned on us that the frame of the pyramid could be made of snow, only by placing balls on the outside. So the pyramid would be 5 times larger. Well, that's for next year.
There is still a week until the New Year, followed by the Christmas holidays - we hope you will take into account our experience and our mistakes, adding your own ideas!
Happy creativity!
Colored ice balls DIY - original winter fun!
Winter is still a long way off, but having accidentally stumbled upon such funny balls, it was hard to resist =) Winter is often white and gray, and you really want to add some bright colors. Bright ice balls, which you can easily make with your own hands together with your child, can help you here. And the very next day you can head to the park or yard, where you will create an interesting composition on the snow-white snow. Or maybe you want to throw them at the snowman =) (exclusively at the snowman!)
To create colored ice balls you will need:
Small balloons
Plastic bags
Food colorings
Something like metal sheet for baking cookies
Old newspapers or towels
Scissors
Below is the process of creating colored ice balls:
Be prepared for the fact that you and your child may get so carried away by the creative process that you get everything around dirty. To do this, it is advisable to wear old clothes and cover everything with newspaper sheets.
1. Begin to carefully fill the balloons with tap water (Figure 2).
2. You need to pour a little food coloring into each ball; 1-2 drops will be enough (Fig. 3).
3. Place all the balls in freezer. You can put them in a large bag to prevent colored droplets from getting on the walls of the freezer (Figure 4).
4. You can also freeze the balls in the yard of the house (Fig. 5). In general, they will remain more or less round or slightly oval, which will not affect the effectiveness of the result. You can also dig round holes for them in the snow so that the right one will surely come out. round form. Removing the ball will be quite simple, since its rubber does not freeze.
5. When the balls turn into pieces of ice, go out into the yard with them and your baby, don’t forget to wear gloves that you don’t mind painting in all sorts of colors of the rainbow. Use your imagination - create circles, decorate snowmen with them, decorate the yard with them. Don't forget to take a photo of your creation and send an MMS to your grandmother, let her be happy for you.
Photo sources: trendhunter.com, hurrayic.blogspot.com
Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with
Many people notice that the older they get, the more difficult it is to re-experience that magical feeling of a fairy tale and miracle that always came to us as children on New Year's Eve.
But we're in website We are sure that the New Year's mood will not keep you waiting if with my own hands make one of these wonderful decorations for your home and Christmas tree. Almost all of them, with the exception of two or three, do not require much time and any special materials - they can be made in half an hour from what is at hand.
Stars made of threads
Wreath made of balloons and an old hanger
In just half an hour, you can make a colorful wreath by purchasing a couple of sets of inexpensive balloons. Blogger Jennifer, the author of this article, recommends straightening old hanger, but if you don’t have one, then a piece of strong wire will do just fine.
- You will need: a couple of sets of balls (20-25 balls different colors and sizes), wire hanger or wire, fir branches, braid or ready-made decoration for decorating a wreath.
Tablecloth made of snowflakes
A delicate and surprisingly festive tablecloth will be made from snowflakes, which we have gotten our hands on since childhood. You can sit down and cut out snowflakes with the whole family, and then lay them out on the table and fasten them with small pieces of tape. A wonderful solution for entertaining guests or just having lunch with the family during the holidays.
Multi-colored hats
The cutest colored hats can be made from leftover yarn, which can be used to make a garland for a Christmas tree or to decorate a wall. Or hang them on a window or chandelier on at different levels. Children over five years old will also cope well with this simple decoration. See details.
- You will need: bushing toilet paper for rings (or regular cardboard or thick paper), scissors, multi-colored yarn and a good mood.
Lamp “Snowy City”
For this charming lamp, you need to measure a piece of paper around the circumference of the jar with a small margin (for gluing), draw and cut out a simple city or forest landscape. Wrap it around the jar and place a candle inside.
- You will need: a jar, thick paper of any color, maybe white, any candle. Alternatively, you can cover top part cans with “falling snow” using a special “snow” spray, which is sold in hobby stores.
Balloons with photos
A great idea for decorating a Christmas tree or as a gift for relatives and friends. The photo needs to be rolled into a tube so that it fits into the hole of the ball, and then straightened wooden stick or tweezers. Small black and white rectangular photographs are suitable, and you can also cut the photo according to the shape of a ball or silhouette (as in the case of a cat in the snow).
- You will need: plastic or glass balls, photographs, various things to fill the ball - tinsel, garlands, coarse salt (for snow).
New Year's lamps
And this miracle is a matter of five minutes. It is enough to collect balls, fir branches, cones and put them in a transparent vase (or a cute jar) and add glowing garlands.
Embers
Glowing garlands, hidden among cones, branches and pine paws, create the effect of smoldering coals in the fireplace or a cozy fire. They even seem to be heating up. For this purpose, a basket that has been lying on the balcony for a hundred years, a nice bucket or, for example, a wicker container for small items from Ikea will be suitable. You will find everything else (except for the garland, of course) in the park.
Floating candles
A very simple decoration for the New Year's table or for a cozy evening with friends during the New Year holidays - a composition with candles floating in a vessel with water, cranberries and pine branches. You can use cones, orange slices, fresh flowers and leaves from flower shop- whatever your imagination tells you. And as a candlestick - deep plates, vases, jars, glasses, the main thing is that they are transparent.
Snowman on the refrigerator or door
Children will definitely be delighted with this - it’s fast, fun and very simple, because even a three-year-old can handle cutting out large parts. It is enough to cut out circles, a nose and a scarf from self-adhesive paper, wrapping paper or colored cardboard and attach them to regular or double-sided tape.
Snowflakes on the window
Interesting use for a glue gun lying around. In order to glue these snowflakes to the glass, just lightly press them to the surface. For details see our video.
- You will need: a stencil with a snowflake drawn with a black marker, tracing paper (parchment, baking paper), glue gun and a little patience.
Christmas trees-candies
Bright Christmas trees can be built together with the kids for children's party or decorate with them festive table. Cut out triangles from colored paper or cardboard, attach with tape to a toothpick and stick the resulting Christmas trees into the candies.
- You will need: Hershey's Kisses or any other truffle candies, toothpicks, tape, colored paper or cardboard with a pattern.
Garland with photographs and drawings
New Year, Christmas - warm, family holidays. And it will come in very handy with photographs, children's drawings, and pictures. The easiest way to secure them is with clothespins, which can be decorated with hearts or snowflakes.
Origami star
Painted spoons
Regular metal spoons or wooden spoons for cooking with acrylic paints turn into interesting new Year decoration. Kids will definitely love this idea. If you bend the handle of metal spoons, you can hang them on the Christmas tree. And wooden spoons will look great in the kitchen or in a bouquet with fir branches.
Snowman made from a sock
Winter is coming, which means it's time to think about how we will decorate our favorite area for the winter. New Year's holidays. Multi-colored ice balls, randomly placed throughout the area, or, on the contrary, collected into one large incredibly beautiful pyramid, can become an excellent and quite original decorative element. Making such balls is not at all difficult, but they will bring an incredible amount of joy, especially if there are small children in the house who will be happy to help you with this activity.
Necessary materials
- Balloons different shapes;
- bright gouache, or ordinary food coloring;
- container for diluting dye;
- water;
First, let's talk about the optimal size of balls for our future multi-colored ice balls. As practice has shown, freeze the ball big size almost impossible. Even at a temperature of -20 C, only a 5-6 cm layer of water freezes overnight in a 3-4 liter ball. The water inside the ice crust expands when it freezes, most often breaking the ice shell. As a result, instead of a ball, you will most likely get two hollow hemispheres with uneven edges.
So don't try to make huge ice balls. Optimal size for our future multi-colored ice rariki, ordinary inflatable rariks measuring 10x10 or 15x15 cm will become. Of course, it’s also not worth filling them with water all the way.
Now let's start diluting the dye for our multi-colored ice balls. Simply dilute a jar of gouache in a one and a half liter bottle of water. For those who have pets or children at home, it is better to use food coloring, in case your beloved household members decide to taste the icy miracle.
After the dye is ready, carefully pour it into the ball almost to the brim using a funnel. Then we put it on the tap and “inflate”.
A few words about “inflating”. Everyone knows that water can only be poured into a balloon under pressure. This is either a tap or a hose with water. Perfect option when there is water supply outside. If there is none, you will have to “inflate” the balloons at home. It is best to do this above the bathtub, as it will be easier to clean up if the paint ball breaks. It is better to inflate the future ice ball together: one holds the ball, the other opens and closes the house. Practice shows that doing this alone is quite difficult.
It is best to tie the ball with an ordinary knot (loop of the ball's tail). It’s more reliable and there’s no hassle with threads.
Finally, the most sensitive step is freezing. We take the balls outside and carefully lay them out on the snow, trying to avoid touching each other and not deepen them into the snow. Do not sprinkle snow on top of the balls under any circumstances - under a warm blanket the water simply will not freeze. After a couple of hours, depending on the temperature outside, the balls will need to be turned over so that they freeze faster and better.
The next day, you can try to remove the “clothes” from one of the resulting ice balls. The rubber ball comes off quickly from the ice ball after a slight cut with a knife.
If everything is done correctly, the end result will be something like this. And that means you can release the remaining multi-colored ice balls.
By the way, you can use not only ordinary round balls. Try different shaped balls. Or, for example, ordinary rubber gloves. Then you will have multi-colored ice hands that you can stick into the snowman.
