1 gallon plastic milk jug
6 cups of sand
scissors
colored construction paper/used wrapping paper or other scrap paper
tape or glue
1 votive candle

What to Do:

1. First, be sure and clean out the milk jug with water and soap so that no milk residue remains.
2. Now, cut the top off of the jug so that you still have the entire handle, but so that the front top part of the jug is open. Place about 1 inch of sand in the bottom of the jug.
3. Fold the construction paper/wrapping paper/or other scrap paper around the jug and mark the shape on the paper. Cut out the paper to match the shape of the jug, then cut out a holiday design in the center of the paper using the scissors. If you are using plain scrap paper, make a holiday design on the outside to make the luminary more decorative.
4. Tape or glue the construction paper to the outside of the jug.
5. Place your candle in the sand so that it is placed in the center of the jug.
6. Set the luminary outside by your driveway or on your porch. Light the candle in the luminary to welcome holiday visitors or passers by.
   
7. Make several and line the driveway or surround your porch with them or give them as gifts. Have fun!

You can light up winter nights with an ice luminary. Give it a try...

Start with a bucket—like an empty ice cream bucket-and a smaller bowl or container. Put a couple of rocks in the bottom of the bucket to make a shelf. Then, put the other container inside the bucket and on top of the rocks a pizza tripod or something to bring the smaller container level with the top of the ice cream bucket.

Put some rocks inside the small container to hold it down. Then pour water all around it into the big bucket. You can make the water blue or green if you want by adding food coloring. Or, maybe you want to add some glitter? Or how about some berries? Or maybe some orange slices? Or some pine needles, be creative!

Once you’ve finished adding water and any decorations, put it in the freezer. Or, if it’s cold outside, just put it in your backyard.

Now, wait for it to freeze. Once the ice is hard, take the rocks out of the inner, small container and pour in some warm water. That will loosen it up so you can remove it. Then you can turn the bucket upside down in the sink and run warm water over it to remove your luminary. (It’s kind of like getting ice cubes out of a tray.)

There you go! You have a winter ice luminary for your patio or front steps!

If you want to try making a luminary with a different shape, try this using water balloons.

Put the filled water balloon in a bowl to hold it upright, or tuck into a mound of soft snow and let it freeze. If you put it in the snow, the bottom will freeze last, because the snow insulates it.

If you want, you can pop the balloon before the bottom freezes, and that unfrozen bottom will become the top opening of your luminary where you put the candle.