An Ice Vase as a Centerpiece: Transitioning into Winter

Here it is several weeks after Christmas and still I am finding myself not quite ready to do away with all of the sparkle and lighting that is a part of the holiday season.  So, as I transition over to winter décor, I still need a little glitz included.

I went to Michael's the other day and found myself in the Christmas clearance aisle and thought I could, perhaps, find uses for the items I found there.  Many of them had a bit of sparkle :) ~

Around the same time, I pulled this handy little number out of storage.  It is an ice cooler, supposedly to be used for cooling wine or champagne but, I usually find other uses for it.  This time I tried freezing some of the left-over juniper I had from Christmas in the container, thinking I could make an impromptu vase out of it.

This is how it turned out.  I thought it looked cool!  Now what to do with it?!

I went to a couple of grocery stores, not having the time to go to the flower market, looking for decent flowers to use in my makeshift vase and centerpiece.  I could not find any!  The flowers were looking as bleak as the weather.  I had some ideas roaming around in my head so, I left the store empty handed and aimed for home.

The first thing I decided to use were a few strands of battery-operated lights I had around the house.  Knowing that my ice vase would be melting I placed the battery packs in a plastic bag to protect them and tightened the seal as best I could.  (I later found that this did not work so well.  The batteries ended up getting wet anyway.)

Next, I filled the empty space in the center of the ice with various evergreens.  I liked the look but thought it needed some color.

I wrapped a sparkly turquoise garland I had just purchased at Michael's all around the greens and vase.  I'm thinking, "That adds color!"  At this point, I thought this whole conglomeration would look cool if I photographed it outside in the dark.  Off I went!

When I took everything outside the greens in the center of the vase just darkened the whole look.  You really couldn't see what they were at all.  So, I took the greens out and again draped the turquoise garland around the ice vase.  I'm thinking it looks pretty good at this point :).

And then, I wasn't so sure.  I removed the turquoise garland and went back to the juniper/ice vase filled with the battery-powered lights.  That was the look I liked the best.  I guess I will have to find another use for the pretty garland elsewhere :/.

I realized we wouldn't be eating outside so...

 I brought the ice vase inside and put it on my dining table,

took a few more photos of my creation...

and started to make dinner :).  This wasn't my best experiment experience but, I did like the look of the juniper frozen in the ice.  I will remember that for another time when I can really focus on making a beautiful centerpiece with real flowers.  But, my husband and I did enjoy looking at it as we ate our dinner.  The ice lasted about 4-5 hours and the juniper emerged out of the ice as it melted to create an almost living sculpture.

It was pretty cool~ I guess that is a pun but, not intended.  Haha!

Happy January!

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