Outdoor Winter Art Projects

Winter brings special opportunities for creative expression. Nature herself creates a gallery of wonder when the temperatures dip below freezing and provides a canvas of white snow. It almost begs for us to get out there and add some of our own personal creativity.

In between building the snow family and sledding down your favourite hill, the family might enjoy some of these art projects.

Food Color Graffiti

Grab a few spray bottles, fill with water and a few drops of food coloring and you are ready to create a masterpiece. Start by squaring off some “frames” in the snow using one of the colors, or just a stick. Spray bottles allow you to adjust the size of the spray which can be useful in the design.

Want to go a step further? Use some natural materials found around the yard to make it more dimensional –a twig here, some moss there. You may have some leftover items from your summer and fall nature box (link to other article).

Frozen Bubbles

Blowing bubbles may be fun in warmer months, but during frigid cold they become magical. Pick a day that has no wind, so the bubbles do not float away and pop before freezing. They also form best when temperatures are hovering around -12°C, but try it starting at just below 0°C and see what works.

The basic formula for making your own bubble solution is one part water, four parts dish soap, and a dash of light corn syrup (or glycerine if you have it). If you are blowing through a typical bubble wand, blow up so that the bubbles can freeze before hitting the ground.

Know that the life of a frozen bubble is not exceptionally long. Another option is to grab a straw and place the solution in a bowl where your kids can just blow and make a pile of bubbles. Keep a camera close by because the results can be fabulous pieces of art.

Ice Molds

To begin have the kids go on a treasure hunt to gather things around the yard such as pieces of pine branches, any berries that may be visible, or small pinecones. They can cut the bigger items into smaller sizes, so they easily fit into the mold. You will need a pan to use as a mold. Bundt cake pans work great, or other specialty cake pan shapes. (1)The kids can now put their treasures into the mold.

You might want to grab some bright beads or other small things from your craft bin to add some color and mystery. Once it is full, add the water and make sure everything is submerged. Leave it outside to freeze overnight if cold enough or put into a freezer.

The next day, run a little warm water around the outside of the pan and release the mold. Now you have a great centrepiece for your outdoor tables.

Ice Suncatchers

Similar process to the Ice Molds (1) described above but in smaller sizes. Suncatchers need some bling to make them shine, so they will have more colored glass and shiny glittery things from your craft bin instead of branches. Submerge a piece of ribbon to the top before freezing to use for hanging. Once they are frozen you can hang them outside your windows and see how they shimmer.

In a previous article, we discussed making birdfeeders which is also a great creative outlet that matches well with some winter bird watching. Whatever you do, do not waste this opportunity that nature has provided. Bundle up and get those creative juices flowing!