DIY Creepy Ice Bucket

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

For a bone-chilling centerpiece, make a creepy ice bucket to keep your wine or spirits extra cold this Halloween. Guests will be grossed out (in a good way) when they catch sight of what lurks inside. Have no fear, it's dead-easy to make and sets the scene for a spooky soiree or Halloween party never to be forgotten. You can easily adapt it to your own party theme, such as zombies, vampires or murder mystery (and you can even tailor it for other seasons, too). Display your creepiest bottle of booze, wine bottle, wine cooler or other beverage, and partygoers will stay refreshed all night long.

Advertisement

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Video of the Day

Things You'll Need

  • 2-gallon plastic bucket

  • 2-quart plastic bucket

  • Distilled water (or tap water)

  • Assorted plastic bugs

  • Plastic severed fingers

  • Plastic eyeballs

  • Fake worms

  • Plastic organs

  • Plastic bones

  • Hand weight, brick or rocks

Since most objects placed in water will float to the top, we'll be building this ice bucket in three layers. This will ensure you can display lots of creepy items throughout the entire bucket.

Video of the Day

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Create the Creepy Items Layer

Fill a 2-gallon plastic bucket with 2 inches of distilled water, and then add an assortment of creepy items to the water. The closer items are to the edge of the bucket, the easier you will be able to see them through the ice. Place the bucket in the freezer for several hours or overnight.

Advertisement

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Add the Smaller Bucket with Weights

Remove the bucket from the freezer and place the smaller bucket inside the larger one. Place a hand weight, brick or rocks inside the smaller bucket to weigh it down (we used a 5-pound hand weight).

Advertisement

Tip

While distilled water is not necessary to make this ice bucket, it will result in a clearer ice than regular tap water.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Add More Creepy Items

Fill the empty space in between the two buckets with more creepy items, positioning them so they face outward. Then add more water to the space between the buckets, just enough to fill it up about halfway. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

More Water and More Creeps

Remove the bucket from the freezer and fill the remaining empty space between the two buckets with more creepy items. Fill the bucket with water, but leave the water level slightly lower than the very top items, so that some of them will appear to be coming out of the ice when they freeze. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Advertisement

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Remove the Smaller Bucket

Once the final layer is frozen, remove the weight/rock and pour cold water into the smaller bucket. Wait a few minutes, and then carefully slide the smaller bucket out of the larger one.

Advertisement

Note​: Do not use warm or hot water, as the temperature difference could crack the ice.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Rinse the Larger Bucket

Place the larger bucket in the sink and run cold water along the sides of it.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

After a few minutes, the ice bucket should slide right out of the plastic bucket. Be careful when removing it, as you don't want it to crack.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Position and Decorate Your DIY Halloween Ice Bucket

Line a large plate or platter with a towel to absorb the ice as it melts. Place the ice bucket on top of the towel and decorate the base of the plate with fake bones or other creepy items to make it even more special.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Put your best bottle on ice, don your Halloween costume and prepare for the squeals when you reveal this fabulous Halloween party decor.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Freeze silicone or plastic bugs in ice cube molds or ice cube trays and cover the bottle in the ice container with the buggy cubes. Add a candy bucket and other fun stuff to the display table or cocktail bar. In addition to ice tongs and typical barware, set a pair of jack-o'-lanterns on the ends.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

As long as you keep the ice bucket away from direct sunlight or heat, it'll creep out your guests for the entire party.

Image Credit: Trisha Sprouse

Advertisement

references