Winter isn’t always a time that we associate with vibrant colours. The skies can stay grey for days at a time, and snow that falls pristine white can turn into brownish slush after a few days on the ground. But the sub-zero temperatures of the season give us an opportunity to create colourful, nature-based art. Ice suncatchers can bring a rainbow of colours to your yard or garden each winter, and if you include some fruit and nuts in your artistic creation, you’ll provide a treat to local birds when the temperatures bump back up.
Materials you’ll need
– Aluminum foil pie plates
– Water
– Food colouring
– Natural materials (e.g., dried leaves, flower petals, small pine cones)
– Optional fruits and nuts (e.g., orange slices, lemon slices, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, sunflower seeds, unsalted peanuts)
– String
– Scissors
– Tape
– Jar to mix water and food colouring
If you want to create a collection of ice suncatchers that show a variety of colours, remember to collect materials in various shades. You can omit food colouring if you want to create a more neutral colour palette.
How to make your ice suncatcher
If you’re going for a full rainbow, add natural materials to each pie plate that keeps like colours together, one colour per plate. Don’t spend too much time trying to arrange the items in a specific way, because they’ll end up floating and changing position when you add the water.
Mix food colouring and water in a your jar and pour the coloured water into corresponding pie plate. Carefully carry your pie plates outside (if you’re not outside already ?) and place them on a flat surface.
Cut a length of string and place it in the water around the edges of the pie plate. Use a piece of tape to hold your string in place on the pie plate as it freezes. Allow your ice suncatchers to freeze outdoors overnight. When the mixture has properly frozen, gently remove the ice suncatcher from pie plate. Hang up your creations and enjoy the sparkle of the light as they catch the sun’s rays!
Keep in mind that as your ice suncatchers melt the coloured water will drip, so it’s best to hang them over a natural area rather than above a wooden deck or stonework which could stain. Happy suncatching!