Operations with ample freezer storage but without a skilled ice sculptor can prepare molded ice sculptures.
Single-use ice molds are filled with water and placed in the freezer until the water is frozen solid. Then the mold is cut away from the ice.
Reusable ice molds are manufactured in sections that seal during filling and freezing, and then come apart so the sculpture can be removed.
Ice-molding machines use glycol to rapidly freeze the water inside the molds.