This $20 Amazon Find Turns Ice Into Festive Ornaments — and I’m Using It Ahead of the Holidays!
We’re at the point where it’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays. This is the time of year when I start gathering my home comforts that will get me through the fall and winter. The weighted blankets get stacked on a bench in my living room for easy access, and I pick up a giant canister of cocoa so I don’t have to keep going back to the store for more. I love making all of the cozy preparations, and even more than that, I love having my friends and family come over for a laid-back visit with dinner and drinks. One item I’ve picked up this year to make those gatherings even more festive is a four-piece set of Christmas Ornament Ice Molds by Tovolo.
For absolutely no reason, I was skeptical about whether or not the ornament ice molds would actually produce detailed ice designs. They were so pretty in the pictures that I thought, There’s no way they’re going to look this good in real life! I don’t mind being proven wrong. These ice molds result in really beautiful festive designs that are, in fact, shaped like ornaments! My favorite was the snowflake, and there’s also a Christmas tree, and two round ornaments with fun designs.
The ice molds are ready to use out of the box, though a pre-wash is recommended since they’re brand new. The plastic base is filled with water up to a marked stopping point, then you add the silicone top and stick in the freezer for four to six hours. As the ice expands, some may come through the top of the ice mold, but that’s normal. Around the sides, it’s leakproof. I don’t use ice often, so I left mine in the freeze overnight and used one with my drink for dinner. Depending on whether the ice ornament sticks to the plastic or silicone, you might have to change the method of removing it from the mold. It’ll come right off of the silicone, but if it’s in the plastic base, just run a little water over the ice to loosen it.
For the snowflake and Christmas tree, the design appears on both sides. For the round ornaments, the details appear all over. These make BIG ice cubes, so it’s highly unlikely that more than one is needed in a glass at one time. They’re also slow-melting, making them great for cocktails. I hosted a movie night at my apartment a few weeks ago, and we still had ice in our drinks after two or three rounds of soda.
I’ll be spending the holidays with my family this year, and while I could easily toss these into my suitcase, I’m planning to order a set for my relatives so we can include them in our party plans. How could I not? They’re under $20, after all! So far, it’s one of my favorite holiday-themed items I’ve received so far this year, outside of my incredibly adorable “Oh, snap!” gingerbread spatula (also by Tovolo). This four-pack of ornament ice molds will definitely take a night of entertaining to another level and really get you into the holiday spirit!
Buy: Tovolo Holiday Ornament Ice Molds, $18.85