Do you have a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments yet? If not, then it’s time to start thinking about it! It would be best to start making your own ornaments to save money, and to ensure that you receive the same quality as those bought at a store.
Since most sports teams use ice hockey as their official team sport, it should come as no great surprise that many people use their love of hockey to express themselves through art. With the right materials, some crafty skill, and a little bit of inspiration, you can turn your winter sports passion into a lasting reminder of your love of the game.
Table of Contents
The Basics
A hockey puck is a metallic sphere with rubber tires used for ice hockey. The rubber tires on a puck prevent it from being immobile on the ice, allowing the athlete handling the puck to make quick changes direction.
While a hockey puck serves a vital role in the sport, it is by no means the most versatile or expensive item to make. For the purposes of this tutorial, you will need an empty metal can, an iron, and an awl.
What Else Do I Need?
Apart from the basics, you will also need a variety of colored icings, hard candies, gumdrops, mints, and cherry candies. If you can get your hands on some liquid nitrogen, then that would be an added bonus! You can use the liquid nitrogen to turn your homemade ice cream into a fantastic frozen dessert.
What Are My Raw Materials?
If you follow a recipe, you will need to begin by melting some ice cream or chocolate to create the “base” of your ornament. To do this, you will need to use your food processor or stand mixer. Simply pulse your ice cream or chocolate until the consistency is similar to wet sand. Using a spatula, gently fold the ice cream or chocolate into small balls.
Some people prefer to use a regular oven instead of an outdoor grill for their BBQs. If you use your oven, make sure that it is preheated before you start grilling. This will make a huge difference in how quickly you can get your food ready. If you’ve ever seen a hockey game where the opposing team’s goaltender freezes the puck more than once, then you’ll understand why you need an oven for this step! Just check the temperature of your oven so you don’t end up with something that is too hot or cold.
How Do I Shape The Puck?
Once you’ve made your “base,” you will need to use your hands, or something similar, to shape the base into a sphere. Use your fingers to pinch and stretch the base of the ice cream or chocolate while rolling it in a circle. This will help create that spheric shape that is so similar to a real hockey puck.
What Do I Do With It Once I’ve Shaped It?
Once you’ve shaped your base, it’s time to start decorating it! You can use your hands or an ice cream shovel to scrape grooves, swirls, or diamonds in the surface of your creation. Don’t worry too much about being neat or precise – feel free to create a natural looking pattern with your ice cream shovel.
Depending on the look you wish to achieve, you can use any of the flavors of hard candy with which you’re familiar. If you have a favorite flavor, then it would be best to use it throughout the entire ornament. The more you use, the better the end result will be. It is also a good idea to coat your finished product in either milk or white chocolate before placing it on your tree.
Finishing Touches
Once you’ve placed your ice cream sphere on your tree, it’s time to add the finishing touches! You can use any kind of string, yarn, or wire to hang your ornament from the tree. The most common type of hanger is the hook, which you can find at most hardware stores. Once you’ve hung your ornament on the tree, you can sit back and enjoy your creation!
Since most people will be looking at your tree during the holiday season, it would be best to decorate it with items that are most fitting for the time of year. You can’t go wrong with some traditional Christmas trees, complete with ornaments and lights, so make sure to display them prominently!
If you’re feeling extra creative, you can use your imagination to come up with some fantastic and trendy tree decorations. There are no limits to what you can do, so go wild!