Supplies:
2 or 3-liter bottle(s)
Distilled water (or tap water)
Food coloring (optional)
Many people fill their punch bowls with ordinary ice cubes for a party. That’s fine; the objective is to keep the punch cold and regular ice cubes will work. But as long as you’re having a celebration why can’t the ice be part of it? Ordinary ice has its place but a punch bowl needs party-quality ice. How about flowers? Ice, shaped like flowers – large flowers – is much more appropriate for a party than regular cubes. Let’s make ’em!
Have you ever looked at the bottom of a 2 or 3-liter bottle of soda? It’s shaped just like a flower. There are five “petals”, joined in the center, and the image is unmistakable. So, when you use one or more of the drink bottles you can create lovely flowers, which are really ice, that float in the punch bowl. They’ll make any punch – no matter what color or flavor – look spectacular.
Freeze one bottle of water for each flower that you want in the punch bowl. First, decide if you want the flower to be a certain color. A dark flower will stand out in a light color of punch and a light flower will get noticed in dark punch. Sometimes, if the punch is particularly dark, the best look for the ice flower is clear.
Pour distilled water into the bottom of the water bottle so that it covers the entire bottom – the flower shape. If you pour too much in, the flower will be really thick and chunky in the punch. Make the flower too thin, though, by not putting enough water in the bottle, and it will melt quickly at the party.
If you want the flower to be tinted, do it before pouring the water into the bottle. Mix thefood coloring and water in a measuring cup and then pour it into the mold. Stand it in the freezer in an upright position so that the water settles evenly on all petals. Freeze for several hours. When you’re ready for the flower, run a little hot water over the bottom of the bottle to loosen the flower. Pierce the side of the bottle, cut all the way around it, and then remove the bottom of the bottle. Take the ice flower out and put it in a covered bowl until you need it.
Sometimes, the tiniest of details can make a party so much more impressive to your guests. That’s true about the ice flowers; they take just a couple of minutes to prepare but they’re stunning and fitting for nearly any party. Try making other shapes, too, by putting water in the bottom of a jell-o mold, a clean toy, or another unusual mold. Your ice will never be square again!