Dry Ice for Gender Reveals and Baby Showers
Pour the water, drop in the dry ice and watch a slow, rolling cloud of fog tumble across the table. Add a coloured light and you have a pink or blue reveal that lands the moment, and looks wonderful in photos and video.
Why dry ice for the reveal
Balloons pop and confetti blows away. A bowl of dry ice fog builds for a few minutes, spills over the rim and hangs low, so everyone gets the same dramatic “ahhh” at the same time. Drop a pink or blue gel light behind a clear bowl, or use coloured water, and the fog picks up the colour beautifully.
It works just as well for the wider baby shower: floating fog on a drinks table, smoking welcome punch, or a centrepiece that quietly steams through the afternoon.
How much dry ice you need
Dry ice fog is made by putting dry ice into hot water (the hotter the water, the thicker the fog). As a rough guide, a couple of litres of warm water with a good handful of pellets gives a strong burst that lasts a few minutes before the water cools and needs a top-up. For a single reveal moment you want plenty in reserve, because you only get one chance to get it right.
| What you’re doing | Suggested amount | Form |
|---|---|---|
| One reveal moment (single bowl) | 10 kg | Pellets or slices |
| Reveal + a couple of table centrepieces | 10 kg | Pellets |
| Full baby shower (reveal, drinks, several centrepieces) | 10 – 15 kg | Pellets |
Pellets are the easiest to handle for this kind of thing and dissolve quickly into fog. If you would like a hand picking the right amount for your plan, just call and tell us what you have in mind.
When to order it (please read)
Dry ice does not sit in a fridge or freezer waiting for the weekend. It slowly turns back into gas (this is called sublimation), so timing the delivery to your event is the most important part of the order.
Most showers and reveals are at the weekend, so order for Friday delivery before 1pm. Saturday deliveries are unpredictable and there is no courier support on Sundays, so if anything goes wrong with a weekend slot it cannot be fixed until Monday, which would be too late for your event.
Because some of the dry ice turns to gas while it waits, order a little extra for the day you need it:
- Need it for Saturday? Order roughly 1.5× the table amount for Friday pre-1pm delivery.
- Need it for Sunday? Order roughly 2× the table amount for Friday pre-1pm delivery.
- Always choose the pre-1pm Friday slot rather than a free end-of-day slot, so there is time to sort out any problem.
- We add extra dry ice to every box to allow for the wait.
Storing it until the big moment
Keep the box closed and somewhere cool and well ventilated until you need it. A garage, shed, or outside porch is ideal, wrapped in an old quilt or sleeping bag to slow it down. Never seal it in an airtight container, never store it in a normal freezer (it will damage the appliance), and keep it away from children and pets.
Please have a quick read of the safety guidance before your event so handling on the day is simple and stress-free.
A Few Safety Tips
Never keep dry ice inside the house. It releases gas as it warms, so it always needs a cool, well ventilated space away from where people sleep or sit.
- ✓Live in a house? Store it in the garage or shed, wrapped in an old quilt or sleeping bag.
- ✓Live in a flat? Keep it on the balcony or in an airy hallway, never sealed inside with people, pets or children.
- ✓Never put it in an airtight container, and never in a normal freezer (it will damage the appliance).
- ✓Always handle it with gloves or a scoop, never with bare hands.
Please have a quick read of the full health & safety guidelines before your event.
Let’s plan your reveal
Tell us your date and what you have planned, and we’ll sort the right amount and the right delivery day.
📞 Contact Us — 0203 1741 759 or email sales@dryicesupply.co.uk