Moonlight

In order to build a candle holder, I had to gather the correct materials to form the structure. I started out with a tall, plastic container, which I packed a thick layer of snow inside. In order to ensure the candle holder would have a set diameter, I placed a slightly more narrow plastic cup inside of the other container. I did this in order for the snow inside to not move around too much because even though the snow was packed well, there was still room for the shape of the holder to become messed up if precautions aren not taken.

As decoration, I placed fallen pieces from some trees in my backyard to the outer rim of the candle holder. I then filled the area around the plastic cup with water in order to fill the gaps that were forming because once it was all frozen, the candle holder would be strong. When the water was added to the container, the plastic cup needed to be weighted down in order to stay in place. I filled the plastic cup with snow overflowing the top and then repositioned the cup inside the container. From there, the candle holder stayed outside for three days, and then was moved to my freezer for the final day in order to solidify the entire structure.

Sunday afternoon, I took the candle holder out from the container and cup and was pleased that the structure seemed strong. I then took the candle holder outside along with a small candle and a lighter to film the final product. I placed the candle inside the holder, took out my phone to record, and began to light the candle. It was amazing to see the flame from far away and how it looked from the sides of the candle holder. When reviewing the candle holder, it was interesting to see a moon shape appear in the rim of the holder, which was due to the angle of the plastic cup. With the moon shape and small pieces from my trees frozen inside the rim, the entire candle holder looked quite beautiful. 

Looking back on the criteria and constraints, my design seemed to meet all the requirements despite the limitations of using natural materials. The candle holder was able to hold a small candle safely, was shaped like a cup, made out of ice and snow, and have decorative features frozen into the shell. If I were to redo this project, I wouldn't want to change much. I might try to be more creative in the decorations I add and possibly try to make a candle holder for an even larger candle, but I am very proud of the work I made.