Written by Gina Vide
There’s a saying in Sweden that “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.”
From the first winter that I experienced here, I witnessed this first hand. Babies travel everywhere you do and weather stops no one. There are highly prized pre-schools that guarantee you that your child will never be taken inside during their time together and that guarantee goes further to assure parents that even naps will be outside in their buggies (winter, included). This awareness of the elements affects all facets of daily life, include the idea of modern, simplistic, functional design we associate with Sweden.
I think that these Snowball Lanterns represent this Swedish-lifestyle very well and I’m really excited to be here today and to share these with you.
If the snow can pack, our neighbourhood is usually speckled with these Snowball Lanterns. With kids, my mind is always on ways to enhance outdoor activities and these are such a win-win! Snowball Lanterns are both beautiful and a great way to combine play, togetherness and functionality; giving the kids a great way to channel snow energy into creating a work of beauty for everyone to enjoy.
Building a Snow Lantern is very simple and it’s size will be up to you. Continue with us below and we’ll show you how you can build one, too!
How to Make Swedish Snowball Lanterns
MATERIALS
- Snow and Snowballs
- Tealight
INSTRUCTIONS
Locate a flat area on your lawn and start making snowballs.
Make as many snowballs as you’d like.
Keep the snowballs uniform in size and pack them well.
The more snowballs you have, the higher you can build up.
Once you have your supply, start by forming a ring with the balls.
Next step :: start building up.
Add one layer after another, gently decreasing the width at each level.
As you layer the snow balls, think ahead to leave a small gap in the construction as a place to reach in with your hand and to place a tea light once the construction is finished.
The goal is to build a solid snowball pyramid.
Once the balls are in place and a Snowball Pyramid has been formed, parental guidance is necessary to placing and lighting a candle.
To use the Snowball Luminary, just reach into the little gap with a tea light, light it, and enjoy your beautiful work.
Enjoy!
More Winter Luminaries
About the Author
Gina is a designer and illustrator who lives in Sweden with her husband and 3 kids between the city and the sea. She is passionate about kids and creating and thrives off of creating hands-on projects with them, exploring every corner of imagination, and sharing them on her blog, Willowday. While many people imagine that her name is “Willow,” her willow life actually began on the day that she married and took her husband’s Swedish last name, which sounds like the Swedish word for “willow.” You can follow Gina on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
About The Author
14 Comments
Janell
February 21, 2015 at 2:35 pmSo beautiful! It makes me almost wish I lived in a region with snow.
Jean Van't Hul
February 22, 2015 at 4:59 amI notice you said, “almost”… :)
This girl loves to talk
February 21, 2015 at 3:42 pmwe learnt about these in the book Christmas in noisy village by astrid lindgren!. she also has a book called children of noisy village. Recommend. For us in Australia I loved the peek into Scandinavian culture :)
Jean Van't Hul
February 22, 2015 at 4:58 amOh, neat! I haven’t read that one.
Chat B
January 3, 2018 at 3:31 amI just bought the book, as you recommended here. I am looking for the most beautiful books for my preschool aged kids. Please suggest more such books if you know of any.
Irena
February 22, 2015 at 3:14 amLovely! The thing is… you definitely need snow, do you? ;D
Jean Van't Hul
February 22, 2015 at 4:58 amYep. Definitely need snow for this one, Irena. :)
Sophia
February 22, 2015 at 8:36 pmMy family made this tonight, and it was beautiful! I find the use of light in so many of your suggested works to be particularly enchanting. (In my experience, it tends to communicate hope amidst frailty and to link purity with joy.) Thank you for continually offering very simple yet beautiful art ideas. Your suggestions have already brightened my home and enabled me to point my children (2 yrs, 1 yr, and 3 mo) to the reality of beauty and to its source! I am so grateful!
Gina Shatney
February 22, 2015 at 10:22 pmWe did it! Baby in the carrier and all. What lovely fun. We had chilly fingers because it’s not a job to try with bulky snow gloves on, but it was worth it. Thank you for sharing.
Noreen
February 23, 2015 at 2:36 pmThese are absolutely delightful! I was just saying to the moms in my Mommy & Me class this morning that I’m ready for Spring and they all know I’m the biggest snow lover. Now, I’m wishing for one more round of snow so we can make these.
Kristin
February 27, 2015 at 3:32 pmThank you for this! It will help us make “light” (haha) of yet another impending snow situation this weekend!
Jen Raer
November 24, 2015 at 2:19 pmI assume the tea light is placed on the flat ground in the center?
Durango Artisanal Tours
December 9, 2015 at 1:06 amElegant and simple
Chat B
January 3, 2018 at 3:22 amjust curious as to how long till the snow lantern melts? I never get sow were i live but we drive to mountains almost every winter for a snowy getaway :) I would love to do these with my kids.