Halloween 2023
It's that spooky time of the year again!
There's nothing better than using dry ice to create some creepy halloween props for visiting trick or treaters, or for impressing your guests at a halloween party.
You can download our Halloween PDF here which gives you tips on how to make a Smoking Witches Cauldron and the Smoking Pumpkin, along with safety tips on handling and using dry ice.
Witches Brew / Smoking Cauldron
Always a great one to spellbind and entertain the kids. You can pick up a plastic witches cauldron at a party supply or dollar store.
If you just want to use it for the 'bubbling witches brew' effect then all you do is fill it half full with hot water and scoop in a cup of the dry ice pellets. Make sure you've got your camera handy before adding the dry ice so you can capture people's expressions and the great spooky effects!
This will produce the cascading fog effect for 2-3 minutes.
After that, it's just a case of replacing the hot water and dry ice every time you want to create the smokey witches brew effect.
The Smoking Jack-O-Lantern
This is another favorite and takes the jack-o-lantern concept a stage further by using dry ice to produce the spooky fog effects. that cascade out of the pumpkin.
Make sure you get a big enough pumpkin, so when you carve it out there is enough space to place a bowl of hot water inside it. You then add dry ice pellets to the bowl of warm water to create the effect. Ideally, put your pumpkin on a stand or table so the fog can flow down to get the best effect.
Five Essential Dry Ice Safety Tips At Halloween
# 1 - Never leave dry ice unattended around children
#2 - Do not touch dry ice with bare hands
Use insulated gloves, a scoop, or tongs
#3 - Do not put dry ice in your mouth or attempt to eat it
#4 - Always store dry ice in a well ventilated area
#5 - When transporting dry ice in your car, make sure there is a supply of fresh air coming into the vehicle (open a window slightly)
Halloween FAQs
What type of dry ice should I buy?
If you want to make a spooky smoke effect, we recommend buying our dry ice pellets as pictured below. They are easy to handle and produce great effects for smoking pumpkins and cauldrons.
How much dry ice do I need?
5kg of dry ice pellets will allow you to make fog effects for a couple of hours.
15kg of pellets will allow you to make fog effects from late afternoon for the younger trick or treaters, and carry you through until late evening for the older trick or treaters and any party fog effects you may want. The best thing to do is plan out the effects you want to do during the afternoon / evening and we can recommend the amount of dry ice you need when you come in to pick up or order.
When should I purchase and pick up my dry ice?
We recommend picking the dry ice up on the day of your party / event, and if possible a couple of hours before you want to start using it.
What do I store the dry ice in once I've picked it up?
A chest cooler (as pictured below) is ideal to store dry ice. Styrofoam coolers work well too and we have a large selection for sale at our customer service counter. Don't put it in the fridge or freezer as the temperature and air flow will make the dry ice sublimate faster.
Always store dry ice in a well ventilated area.
What should I do with any leftover dry ice?
Leave any leftover dry ice in its storage container with the lid on in a well ventilated area and it will naturally sublimate away over a day or two.
Is there anything I need on hand to use the dry ice safely?
Dry ice is extremely cold (-78 C) and should be handled with care. It can cause frostbite on bare skin. Always use insulated gloves, tongs, or a scoop to pick up dry ice pellets.
Please check out our FAQ / Tips page HERE for more information.
