How to Display an Ice Lantern

This is my favorite part. I love figuring out new a different ways to display these beautiful globe ice lanterns. You can invent new display ideas as well if you know some very basic rules. So I don’t get carried away and give away all my secrets to the worldwide web, I will mention just a few and then you let your imagination carry you away.

Outside Display

Displaying a globe ice lantern outside is fairly uncomplicated. I generally look for a place out of the sun, if I want them to last, and where melting ice will not create a safety hazard. They can be placed on any surface, cement, grass, ice or snow, as long as air holes or channels have been created. You can use a candle or use little white-corded lights.

Some display ideas:

lining the walkway or the entryway of a home, church, event or business with multiple globes of any size. With multiples, numbers make sense. I generally save the big ones for dramatic focal points.
placed in a wreath that is lying flat on the ground. Make sure that the size of the wreath is appropriately sized for the globe. I like to think of it as a very large egg sitting in a nest.
placed in a large flowerpot filled with greens.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to outside display, including one idea that involves a swimming pool diving board. I would love to hear your display stories—contact me!

Inside

Displaying a globe ice lantern inside is possible, but it does present some interesting challenges. Because of the melting that will eventually happen, the main concerns with displaying a globe ice lantern inside are to make it thick enough to last a while and to find a place for all that water to go. I usually create some sort of drip tray with items I find around the house. Only one word of warning, if you are going to use an ice lantern as a centerpiece, make them small (around 10 lbs.) and test it ahead of time. Weigh each balloon as you fill it and try a few sizes and ice thicknesses with your arrangement to make sure they can be lit and melting for the length of the event, without overflowing.

Here are a few inside display ideas:

a large open bowl with a smaller bowl turned upside down in the middle. The ice lantern will sit on top of the smaller bowl and drip into the bigger bowl. The large bowl can be filled with flowers, greens, stones or anything you like that will not be harmed by water.
Turn a wide-mouthed vase upside down inside a punch bowl. Put a small plate, upside down on top of the vase for the ice lantern to sit on as it drips into the punch bowl. Fill the punch bowl with flowers and/or greens. If you happen to be lucky enough to own a punch bowl with a removable base, an upside-down base will easily take the place of the vase and be a better match!

Again, you are only limited by your imagination. As long as the melting ice has a place to go, an ice lantern can be put on display indoors with stunning results!

Please click on an image for an enlarged view.