Floating Hands and Faces in Punch

Use these ghoulish ice cubes to keep Halloween beverages such as a macabre blood punch cold and creepy.

Watch Halloween guests become terrified as they sample your witch's brew with a ghoulish touch: hands and faces floating in punch. These icy anatomical structures will perfectly chill your brew. Just prepare your favorite blood punch (a macabre mixture of red fruit drink and ginger ale) and float the body parts in the punch. Or, you can fill a bucket with an assortment of these icy creations to keep bottled beverages chilled.

Floating Hands and Faces in Punch
MATERIALS

• Powder-free clear plastic gloves
• Twist ties
• Baking sheets
• Cornmeal
• Molded-plastic face masks
• Wide duct tape
• Plastic shoe box
• Bubble wrap
• Scissors

For Ice Hands

1. Rinse gloves thoroughly, inside and out. Add enough water to fill the gloves loosely but not so full that the fingers will not move. Fasten the gloves tightly with a twist tie. Place cornmeal on a baking sheet and lay the hands on the cornmeal. Freeze.
2. When hands are frozen solid, rinse off cornmeal from gloves, carefully cut off the gloves with scissors at the rubber band. Peel away from ice hands. Float hands in a bowl of punch for scary fun.

For Ice Faces

1. Select a mask with distinct features for the best effect. Rinse the mask with water and dry off. Tape closed all the openings (eyes, nose, mouth) inside and out with duct tape.
2. Line a plastic shoe box with bubble wrap to support the mask while freezing. Place the mask face down in the box, and fill the mask 1/3 full with water, leaving space along the top for shifting. Freeze the mask for 2 days.
3. When face is frozen, loosen the mask from the ice form by quickly placing it in a bowl of warm water. Release the mask from the ice form and float the ice face in the punch bowl.

SOURCES
Powder-free clear plastic gloves
Available at pharmacies and housewares stores

Check out some more creepy Halloween drinks to serve to your ghosts and goblins.