How to make your own Alaska ice lanterns

Ice lanterns are an easy way to brighten any winter setting. They’re also easy to make, as staff at Alaska Dispatch has discovered during three years of field tests.

We like them because there is something magical about the warm glow of light and fire cutting through the dark depths of winter. In Norse mythology, the space where the worlds of fire and ice meet is the place of creation, a place of light, air and warmth.

Whether gracing a patio, walkway, or adorning an ice skating lake or wintery trail, ice lanterns are a fitting way to dress up the surroundings. With a lit candle inside, they emit a warm glow, and each ice creation captures and reflects the light in its own, unique pattern.

Lanterns can be used to illuminate a runway path for Santa and his reindeer to land, add cheer to your individual home or brighten an entire neighborhood over the holidays.

Building one is simple. Fill a container with water, and set outside to freeze. The goal is to allow the outermost layer freeze. Different thickness will produce different effects, but some liquid must remain in order for the mold to produce a hollowed shape that will become the lantern. Think of a half-frozen ice cube and you've got the idea. Bigger molds container larger volumes of water will take longer to freeze than smaller ones.

Ice globes, made using balloons, are a particularly intriguing spin on the tradition of ice luminaries. Start now, and with a few supplies and a little patience, you'll have a unique lantern ready for Christmas or New Year's Eve. To make your own globe lantern, you'll need a balloon, candle and matches. (Heavy duty balloons like those found in party stores work best.)

Fill the balloon with water, blow a small puff of air in and tie it off. Then, set it either outside or in the freezer. The goal is to leave the balloon in the cold long enough for ice to form and take shape, but before it freezes solid.

Metal cooking bowls work well as a holding shell - they help the globe maintain its shape and naturally create a flat bottom -- but are not necessary. The longer you leave the globe in the cold, the thicker the walls become. Thin ice shells are pretty, but thick walls allow for more light play.

After 12 hours or so, check the balloon. When the ice is the thickness you want, drain the water from the center by creating a hole in the weakest layer of ice, which should be at the bottom of the lantern and may not be entirely frozen yet. The hole needs to be large enough to slip over the candle you’ve selected.

Next, make a chimney at the top of the globe for air flow. This can be done with the candle itself (using the flame to melt a hole), a small drill, or carefully with a stream of warm water (be careful, water can cause the ice to crack).

You're ready to light the lantern and enjoy!

One thing we really like about this project is that even the duds are pretty. Cracks, oblong shapes, unusual crystals -- they all add character and catch light in different ways.

One final word of advice - don't display the lanterns directly on wood. Give them a snow cushion or some branches to rest on, otherwise you risk freezing them firmly to the surface.