Come with me . . . and you'll see . . .

  . . . all the w-i-l-d techniques of ice creations!

Seriously, there ARE countless amazing ways to create and light ice lanterns! Step into my elevator and let me show you a few things . . . (Just kidding: There is no elevator to my ice lab.) 

OK - let's talk ice lantern workshops! I love leading classes about ice lanterns. I don't even need to think, the information just pours out of me. And the people . . . seeing the look on people's faces when the light goes on about how truly easy it is to create beauty from just water and cold temps . . . it's infectious. 

(Photo credit: Wintercrafter and friend, Brian Mogren helped lead a class offered at Bachman's last year and he took many of the photos in this blog! He's an absolute wonder!) 

Given my desire to teach and our need to be with family more this year, my husband Tom and I decided, that instead of working at craft fairs this holiday season, we would move our focus toward spreading ice lantern love with workshops in my Ice Wrangler lab! The short term goal is to have in-person classes that will transition to more virtual classes. So eventually, regardless of location, people will be able learn ways to brighten their corners of the world with ice and light!

Of course, that meant I had to make the ice lab more conducive to having guests. And not just one person at a time, but GROUPS of people. So, this past summer I purged tons of things that have been hanging around for decades waiting for a chance to be used. It's been a hard road releasing all those wonderful nothings, but it had to be done. 

 

And now with the main ice lantern season just around the corner (after a warm December delay), we installed 2 new big freezers and we are finalizing the space. So that means, regardless of the weather, we should be able to host a class. If I sound excited to have all this freezer space - in house - its an understatement. I am thrilled beyond measure!

All that's left to do now is finalize the list of classes . . .

I have given many classes and workshops in botanical gardens, garden centers, community spaces, etc. over the years, so I have a pretty good idea of what classes might work for groups.

For instance, we should have an Ice Lantern 101 class that talks about the basics. I began my book with a discussion of "Ice Logic" and then gave a description of the "Basic Shapes". It's a great way to start the thought process of how ice freezes and how we can manipulate it. 

After that, the list gets very long, so maybe you can help narrow it down a bit. Below you will find a list of my hopefuls and, if you feel so inclines, you could point out your favorites and/or fill in the gaps.

 

CLASS SUGGESTIONS beyond Ice Lanterns 101: 

 

• DIY Centerpiece Drip Tray - Bringing ice lanterns inside requires a way to contain the melting ice. The fun part is discovering new techniques . . .

• Finnish Glass Ice Lanterns - This style of ice lantern looks like it has bubbles caught in the ice.

(The above photo shows both a Finnish Glass Ice Lantern and a centerpiece drip tray.)

 

• Teardrop Ice Lanterns - Learn how to create and light ice lanterns that come to a point!

 

• Freezing Objects into Ice - Learn methods for freezing various types of items into ice of all shapes.

 

• Ice Glass - creating sheets of organically-shaped ice

• Globe Ice Lanterns - tips and tricks

(The above photo shows both a Globe Ice Lantern and sheets of Ice Glass behind it.)

 

• Ice Bar Building- Using large sheets of ice glass and tall bucket ice lanterns

 

• Building with Ice- Using leveling and finishing techniques to be able to successfully stack objects of ice

 

• Creating Texture in Ice - Altering the surface of ice causes the light we add to go crazy. There are many ways to experiment with this idea!

 

 

• Ice Roses - Adding sheet of delicate ice glass surrounding an ice lantern creates Ice Roses

 

• Embossing in Ice - Melting and or forming around objects to create textures or patterns in the ice

 

• Using Molds - Tips and tricks for using many types of forms to make interesting shapes

 

• Finishing Ice for Presentation - Removing weak/white ice, leveling and cleaning ice to make it look its best

 

• Ice Lanterns for Kids- Working with ice can be fun!

 

• Ice Suncatchers - Freezing items into ice and using the sun to light them up!

 

• Ice Photography - Taking photos of ice lanterns can be tricky. I will demonstrate a few hard learned secrets

 

• Lighting with Candles - Candles in ice lanterns create a magical glow and there are some techniques for making them more wind-resistant.

 

• Lighting with LED Lights - LED lights offer color and convenience when lighting ice lanterns 

 

So, now its your turn . . . what new crazy ice thing do you want to learn in a workshop?

Make a comment here, or reach out at enjoytheglow at wintercraft.com

 

In the meantime, come visit for a class as here are our initial offerings!  See you at the Ice Lab!