Create your very own outdoor ice gallery with one-of-a-kind works of art. Milky white ice pendants make the perfect canvases for kids to decorate with original designs or write messages on as seasonal greetings. Ice Paintings are a fun way to embrace wintertime play, while creating Louvre-worthy masterpieces to decorate your home for the holidays.

• 2 aluminum foil containers, pans or tin molds
• 1 quart water
• 1/2 cup of baking soda
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Paint brushes
• Food coloring
• Paint containers

Step 1
Mix the water with the baking soda. The water may not look cloudy at this point, but a reaction will happen when the water freezes that turns the ice a milky white, making it no longer transparent and the perfect painting surface.

If you plan on hanging your ice painting up, cut some ribbon and place the ends into the water in the container so that they’ll freeze as part of the icy mold.

Step 2
Freeze the solution. Once solid, release the ice from the mold. If using aluminum, this should easily pop out. If you are having trouble getting it to release, warm it up with your hands. If using a tin container, you may gently run warm water over the back, but if possible, refrain from doing this so that the ice remains as frozen as possible.

Step 3
Once the ice is out of the mold, grab your food coloring and prepare your paints. I used food coloring paste diluted with water, but liquid coloring works too. Adjust the strength of the color by changing the water-to-paint ratio. The less water, the bolder the color. The more water, the lighter the color.

Step 4
Time to start painting! Use a small brush for the details and a wide brush for larger splashes of color. Each pendant is a blank canvas for you to express yourself on!

Once painted, your artwork is ready to be put on display!

There are so many ways to display these: hang them from a door knob, make an outdoor art gallery on the branches of your garden, leave them on a neighbor’s door as a friendly surprise. If you have winter conditions, these are thick enough to stay frozen for an extended period of time. If not, they can also be kept in the freezer until ready to use.

Warm winter wishes and happy painting :)