

Dig a hole in the snow. Line with a bag. Pour in the water.

It can be fun for young kids to see an object get stuck in the ice. If you wish, find something to put in the water.

Freezing times vary with the weather. Pull the ice ornament out of the bag once frozen.


Dig a shape in the snow. Line with aluminum foil. Be careful not to make the shape too skinny.

Pour water into the mold. Placing a string in the mold will make it easier to hang up the ornament.


Objects can be embedded in the ice.

Toy embedded in the ice ornament

This variation of making ice ornaments uses snow as a casting mold. Casting ice ornaments in snow introduces young children to some of the basic principles that are used in casting sculpture. Casting is a process used by artists who work with materials such as glass, cement, ceramics and metal. For this method of making ice ornaments, the mold is created by carving out a shape in the snow and lining the shape with either aluminum foil or a plastic bag. Lining the shape is necessary to prevent the water from soaking into the snow. Kids can experiment with the shape, size and depth of the snow mold.