Winter Ice Light Catchers

This project is one of the few things I look forward to when it's bitterly cold outside.  Next to fresh baked food and snuggles.  Gather the kids or friends, bundle up and head outside to find natural objects to freeze in ice, and you're already half finished with this super easy winter project! 

All you need is a few household items, fruits and seeds, found objects from nature and water.

I like to use birdseed, cranberries and oranges in my light catchers along with curls of birch bark and cedar branches.  As the ice block melts in the sun as spring nears, the birds will feast on the newly exposed seeds and berries.

Here's how it's done:  For easy removal of your ice block, cover the inside of a pie tin with plastic wrap before you begin (otherwise you may run the tin under hot water for a few seconds and the ice block will pop out).  Place your nature items in the tin and fill it gently with water about one inch deep.  Set a length of twine into the water so you can hang your light catcher from the trees.  Clip your twine to the edge of the tin using a clothespin or similar tool so the spot where the twine emerges from the water is on the very edge of the circle.  When you add the water, many of your objects will float and you may need to do a little rearranging.  Put your tin outside or in the freezer on a level surface and it's ready to remove from the tin and hang as soon as it's frozen!

This project is really fun for kids.  It's perfect for the little ones since it takes only a few minutes to complete and when it's done the kids can watch the birds and squirrels enjoy their work.  Enjoy your snowy winter days!