Introduction: Lonely Ice Teardrops

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This shows how to create a teardrop of ice. We're having an ice and art event at a local lake in Minneapolis and we're freezing water in anything that we can. Some things work, some things don't. Water becoming a solid is a beautiful thing!

Step 1: Materials

What you'll need
- twine I use twine because it rough texture has great holding power when its frozen)
- balloons These are 12" round "Party" balloons. You need round balloons to get the proper teardrop shape. The seem thicker and stretchier than most of the balloons I tried
- washers

Step 2: Adding Washers ( Anchors)

The washers are tied to the twine to give the weight and as an anchor for the ice to freeze around. Pull off of the end of the twine from the spool but don't cut it yet. I tied a simple square knot onto the washer.

Step 3: Dropping the Twine Into the Balloon

This takes a little bit of work. You want to work the washer and twine down the neck of the balloon so that when you hold the end of the balloon the washer hangs in the center ( stomach?) of the balloon.

Step 4: Twine Sitting Inside the Balloon.

Now the washer should be free inside the balloon - it should feel loose.

Step 5: Cut the String!

Now strip off an arms length (or more depending what you intend to tie the twine to outside. I used a clothes line pole) and cut it.

Step 6: Filling the Balloon With Water

I got a balloon filler I could attach to the threaded laundry-room faucet I have in the basement. I got the cool green plastic spout by buying a pack of water bomb balloons. I got mine in the toy section of my local pharmacy.

Step 7: Filling Without Exploding!

I got wet figuring out how to fill the balloons without blowing them up. I hold the opening of the balloon on the faucet while I support the balloon until it can stretch to the support base I put into the sink. I turned over a dish-pan It was just the right height.
- You cannot let the balloon hang without supporting it. It'll break.
- as the balloon fills let the weighted twine lower into the bigger balloon.
- flll the balloon slowly... otherwise it'll break
- your hands might get cold if you are making a lot, so I keep some lukewarm water in a tub near to warm up my hands.
( the balloon is white so you can see what's happening)

Step 8: Where the Washer Should Be...

If you let the twine slide as you filled the balloon, the washer should have worked itself down into the balloon. You want it sort of in the center. I'm holding the dark balloon up towards a light so I can see.
Let all excess air out of the balloon and tie it off like you normally would...
- Yes the twine will be inside your knot. This is good - the knot with the string inside is what supports the water balloon as it hangs to freeze.
- Be careful and gentle with the filled balloon.

Step 9: Hang It Up...

Supporting the balloon's weight in your hands, carry it outside to whatever you are going to hang it from. I very slowly lifted the balloon with the twine, then tied the twine to the clothesline pole.
- do it slowly and they wont explode as often ( its a bummer if you're outside in below freezing temps and the water balloon explodes on you)

Step 10: The Next Morning...

is beautiful .. if all went well. Walkup to your balloon and gently tap on it.. It should sound hollow. The rubber of the balloon usually will rip when it freezes and its easy to peel it off. I leave it on if I have to store it before I use it for the ice sculptures. The balloon will protect the surface of the ice a bit.

Step 11: Storing

For our event I have a tarp in my garage that I store the frozen teardrops on. Again... be careful! What you'll find is that the balloons freeze from the outside in and often they still have water in the center the next day. So they're still fragile till they freeze solid.