Snow figures are a long-standing pastime of the inhabitants of Rus'. As soon as winter came, everyone waited for the moment when the snow would begin to fall. They made everything out of snowballs: castles, animals, sculptures; entire cities were built in certain areas. They were doused with water, three-dimensional images were carved out and left like that until spring. As the weather warmed, the figures melted and floated away on a long journey until the next winter. This tradition has survived to this day. Snow figures are sculpted in kindergartens, schools, and, yes, in ordinary courtyards. We will consider options for figures and methods for their construction in our article below.
Snow figures pictures
How to make figures from snow, what kind of snow is good to sculpt from
To create snow figures, you first need to wait for a good snowfall. It is desirable that the snow is clean, without dirt. With ideal timing, a few days of snowfall is just the thing for creating snow heroes. But these are not all the conditions. If the quantitative requirement is met, then it is also necessary to wait for the temperature regime. Snow forms at temperatures not lower than 0 ºC.
Sometimes weather disasters occur and when there is a sharp change in cold temperature, excess air humidity appears. For example, the air rose from -13 ºC to -2 ºC. At this moment, you can start sculpting various figures, since the moisture will settle on the snow and its top layer will be wet. In other words, to create snow figures you need wet snow. It is convenient to work with it, combine separately sculpted parts and create a single whole. You can check the quality of the snow yourself; if a handful of snow instantly takes the form of a lump, then the consistency is ideal.
Light snow figures, ideas with photos
Undoubtedly, the simplest and most quickly erected figure is a snowman. Even children can sculpt it. Three round balls placed on top of each other, a ready-made composition. The rest is a matter of fantasy. If desired, you can decorate the round one with rowan berries, branches, stick a carrot and even put a bucket or hat on your head.
Hedgehog is also ideal for both children and adults sculpting. Small raised tubercles are molded onto the finished oblong lump, imitating countless needles. A triangular muzzle is attached to the body, which is completed by a small ball - the nose. Don't forget about the small recesses for the eyes and mouth. We decorate the sculpture, and the snow hedgehog is ready.
Snow figures step by step:
Since childhood, we have become accustomed to making figures out of snow at the behest of our souls; if we wanted, we made a snowman, if we wanted, we wanted to make a turtle or a horse. But if it came to competitions in kindergarten, in the yard or at school, where entire families took part, then it was not easy. The plot, color, and size of the craft were thought through. We will look at ready-made solutions; perhaps these are the options that will be useful for your craft.
Father Frost
With the first snow falling, we begin to anticipate the approach of the New Year. The streets are filled with snowflakes, decorations, beautiful lights, and in addition to all this beauty, snow figures are sculpted in courtyards and squares. One of the most popular is the figure of Santa Claus. It is not so easy to fashion it, but if you follow a certain order, the exhibit will be ready after a couple of hours of painstaking work.
The complexity of the work will depend on one factor - the height of the exhibit. The taller Santa Claus is, the more difficult it will be to make a life-size sculpture. For stability, experienced craftsmen place a metal support in the snow structure. But we will not complicate the composition and will make a medium-sized Santa Claus, without support. We select snow and roll up a medium-sized snow ball. We sculpt a body on top of it, align the sides, and add snowballs - arms. Using plywood, we level the torso and limbs, and begin to design the head.
We need a new portion of snow, we form a hat, headband, beard. We pay special attention to the face, make indentations for the eyes, attach a strip of snow to the nose, and smoothly align the beard. For believability, you can stick a bag near the figure or decorate it with a magic staff.
As a staff, you will need a straight stick that will serve as a support. We paint Santa Claus in red shades and the figure is ready.
Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden is made by analogy with Father Frost. The body is formed from a large oblong lump.
Snow hands are attached to the sides of the hewn block. In order to spend less time on the Snow Maiden’s delicate hands, we suggest decorating the snowy beauty’s hands with mittens. The body of Santa Claus's granddaughter should have a thin waist, and her head should be decorated with a long braid. If you remember the plot of New Year's fairy tales, then on the Snow Maiden's head there is a crown, kokoshnik or a beautiful hat with bells.
After decorating the body, we sculpt a small snow globe that imitates the head of a young beauty. We attach a strip of snow to the side to decorate the braid, and on the top we decorate a crown or kokoshnik. Finally, we carve out the recesses for the eyes on the figure, form the cheekbones, chin, highlight parts of the body and paint the Snow Maiden.
snowman
The simplest and most beloved folk snow figure is the snowman. All you have to do is roll three balls of different sizes. Place them in a vertical row, starting with the largest.
Next, the following additions can be sculpted on the body: make snow boots, attach limbs from branches, attach a bucket to the head, and put a rowan smile on the face, eyes, and the completion of the snow figure will be a bright carrot, symbolizing the nose of a cute little round one.
pig
The piglet is not only one of the simplest figures for snow modeling, but also a symbol of the year. Popularly, such a figure was called Khryukhryukovich. It is formed from an oblong coma. The lump is fixed on a free area, with paws-hooves attached to the sides. The 4 limbs of the pig should be sculpted in the shape of logs, they are pointed at the end.
The head is formed directly from the lying coma. A pig, in principle, is an animal that is not distinguished by any special forms and the head and body are one. Using a shovel or a paper clip, several notches are made, showing the presence of a transition from the head to the body. A snout and beads for eyes are attached to the muzzle. At the request of Khryukhryukovich, you can paint it pink. And by the way, the pig can be sculpted not from completely pure snow, but with a little dirt mixed in. That's why she's a pig.
How to make a snowman from ice balls?
You can make snowmen from ice balls. To do this, use balls of different sizes and fill them with different amounts of water. You will need three balls: large, medium, small. Once filled, freeze. Set the balls one by one.
If you want a transparent snowman, then do not paint over the water. If you want the snowman to be white, add a small amount of white dye to the water. These snowmen look very cute. They will be able to complement the festive New Year's table or area near the house.
snowman made of ice balls
DIY snow figures for school, details
During school years, there are many competitions, including the snow figure competition. Such competitions are especially often held in regions where snow cover lasts almost until summer.
matryoshka
In the image of this wooden toy, you can sculpt a beautiful snow figure, and if you decorate it with bagels and Khokhloma paints, then the Matryoshka will fit into all the winter holidays. And the most suitable for her will be New Year and Maslenitsa.
The lady-matryoshka is made from sticky white snow. The figure is based on two balls. One larger at the base and one smaller. The second ball (smaller) is fixed on the first. The transitions between parts are covered with snow and smoothed out. The matryoshka is almost ready, all that remains is to align the edges and color it beautifully. To level the edge, it is recommended to use a wide wooden spatula or a piece of plywood. You can hang a bunch of large bagels between the tiers and the look will be completed.
lock
The castle is made based on the favorite children's game - fortress. A structure is built from several snowballs - fortifications. Large and small balls alternate, and windows are made between them. The top of the structure is decorated with spire-shaped peaks.
You can attach a bridge, towers, or make passages to the castle. They are also molded from snow. And, if you use your imagination, you can turn a beautiful castle into an ice road that turns into a slide. Most schools and kindergartens are located in spacious areas where there are uneven areas. Just one of the slopes can be adapted into a castle with an ice slide.
Russian stove
Based on Russian fairy tales, a pie oven would look appropriate in the school yard. It’s quite simple to fashion it, especially if you have several snow-making peers as assistants. A square structure with a superstructure is formed on a flat area.
The final step in creating a stove is painting to highlight the brickwork. If desired, you can place Emelya on the stove or place a dish with buns or pies. So, the stove will last until spring.
Decorating a kindergarten with ice balls: ideas, tips, photos
Ice balls are often used to decorate areas near kindergartens. Get the kids involved in making ice balls. To do this, give the children a balloon and show them how to put the balloon on the water tap. Tell me the volume of water that needs to be poured into the ball. Help the children tie the balloons and put them in the freezer or take them outside if it is very cold. Once the balloons are frozen, take the kids outside and decorate the area where you usually play.
You can make a Christmas tree out of green balls or make a kind of rim in the sandbox. You can line the entrance to the kindergarten with ice balls on both sides of the steps that parents climb to pick up their children.
Decor with ice balls Decor with ice balls Decor with ice balls
Ice balls are an excellent option for decorating the area of a private home, as well as a way to decorate your New Year's table. Ice balls are often used to decorate the New Year's table and serve it. The balls are placed on a plate and candles are lit around them. This composition looks quite impressive and beautiful.
Figure of a dog made of snow, step by step with photo
A dog is a man's friend, even if it is made of snow. Bright gouache will bring the dog to life and make him the main decoration of the yard. First, to create the figure, we create a large snow pile. The dog will be lying down, in this position it will be much easier to sculpt the composition. Distribute the snow for the head and paws. What we leave most of all on the body is the dog’s torso.
Select the limbs, draw parts of the body. We color the figure and the dog is ready.
How to cut a figure from snow
When working with snow, it is important to remember that the carved figure must be done right away. Otherwise, the snow will harden and it will be very difficult to highlight individual parts of the sculpture. In addition to gloves and clean snow, you will need a lot of tools for the job. They are necessary to highlight parts of the body, create a face, and carved elements. It is recommended to use durable metal tools as auxiliary tools. These include: screwdrivers, small spatulas, spatulas.
In fact, to create a snow figure one-time, it is not necessary to have a professional sculptor’s kit. Arm yourself with a chisel, a metal file or ruler, or, in extreme cases, a wide knife, and work on creating a snowy image. Places where snow does not yield easily can be sprinkled with boiling water. The snowball will melt in a second and you will have a new field for work.
Smeshariki snow figures, photo with explanation
Remembering the round cartoons from the numerous Smeshariki series, I just want to sculpt bright characters. In fact, nothing is impossible and, having devoted one evening to decorating a snowy cartoon picture, you will soon be able to enjoy your own yard work.
All characters are made from a large snow globe. We have all been able to do this since childhood, and the rest is a matter of technique. Let's add ears, stick two straight sticks into the head, stick snow on them, and the hare is ready. To make the hero look realistic, we’ll design a pair of teeth, a nose and eyes. Cut them out with a scraper or metal spatula.
Let's make needles for the hedgehog from snow triangles. Let's add a smile, glasses and a pair of skis. After all, it's winter outside.
Let's not forget about Elk with horns, Pina, Nyusha, Kar-Karych, Sovunya. We sculpt the features of each character onto the round body: beak, glasses, ears, etc. The most important thing about these heroes is not to forget to color them.
What kind of snow figures can you make?
Here are some ideas for cool sculptures - from the simplest to the most sophisticated, which will require you to spend more than one hour and mountains of snow.
Snowman
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
Classics of the genre. A few minutes, three lumps on top of each other, and everything is ready. For variety, you can make a baby snowman out of two balls or an acrobat standing on his head. It’s not much more difficult to make a chubby cute guy with arms and legs or Olaf from Frozen.
Caterpillar
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If you make a snowman from identical balls and put them on the ground, you will get a caterpillar. Antennae, paws and green color will give even greater resemblance. A miniature version of the figure can be made from snowballs directly on a tree branch.
Birds
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Make several oblong snowballs, add eyes, a beak and place them on the railing or steps. For small birds, these details will be enough; for larger versions, you can attach a head, wings and tail.
Turtle
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Gather the snow into a pile and compact it well. Use a spatula to outline the shell and its plates, attach the head, neck and paws. Using a spatula, apply relief to the turtle's body to give it a realistic look.
Penguin
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
Making a penguin is simple: just sculpt an oblong lump, and then attach a beak and paws to it. You can create one large bird or a whole colony of miniature ones. If you color them, it will turn out very cool.
duck
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
It’s easy to make a cute little duck from an ordinary snowball by sticking a head with a beak on top and outlining wings on the sides. With a large figure you will have to tinker: you must first roll it into a ball, and then give it the shape of a body with a tail and head. A beak made from a piece of carrot or orange paint will prevent the figure from being confused with anything else.
Cat
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
The snow cat can be depicted in different ways. The simplest option is to make snowballs on a tree trunk. The cat standing on its hind legs is made from a long lump with a round head. Large seated sculptures are sculpted by cutting off everything unnecessary from a large block of snow or, conversely, adding missing details such as a tail and protruding ears.
Hare
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
Bunnies are in many ways similar to cats and differ only in their ears and muzzle. A cute big hare can be easily obtained by adding ears and paws to a snowball. It’s a little more difficult to make those sitting and standing, although even if it doesn’t turn out very similar, the long ears will always tell you who it is.
BB‑8
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
Making baby BB‑8 from Star Wars couldn't be easier. A large ball, another smaller one on top and a pair of antenna branches. It won't be the same without coloring, so you'll have to tinker with the patterns on the body.
Minion
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
An oblong lump, arms and legs, a mouth smiling with all its teeth, glasses and a couple of twigs as hair. Of course, color plays a big role, but uncolored minions also look very cool. Especially with a big group!
R2‑D2
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If you don’t give the minion legs, but stick square supports on the sides instead of arms, you’ll get the beloved astromech droid R2-D2. Cut a groove in a circle to highlight the head, draw an eyepiece, buttons - and you won’t confuse him with anyone else.
Totoro
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Make a large snowball, give it the shape of an egg, and then select the stomach, attach ears, arms and insert an umbrella into one of them. A few touches of twigs to add details - and we have Totoro from the cult anime.
Dog
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
The figure of a dog can be sculpted either from a single block of snow or from several parts, separately forming the paws, torso, head and tail. Dog owners can try to imitate a snowy version of their pet and see how it reacts.
Bear
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
The simplest figure is a bear hugging a tree trunk. More complicated options - an animal sitting on the ground or standing on four legs. The beauty of the snow bear is that you don’t have to paint it - just pebbles for the eyes and twigs for the claws.
Dinosaur
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It is not so easy to make a dinosaur with long legs, so most often they are depicted sitting on the ground. An easy option is to draw the outline of a reptile from snowballs on the wall of the house. If you want to create a terrifying dinosaur with outstretched paws and a raised tail, you will have to bother with a frame of branches or wet the snow with water and wait until it freezes.
Shark
Public domain/Pinterest
Public domain/Pinterest
A toothy predator can be easily built from an elongated lump. Fins, a tail, a pointed muzzle, teeth made of ice or simply drawn. An easy option is individual fins on the snow. Aerobatics - a terrifying figure with an open mouth.
Lego man
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To make such a funny analogue of a snowman, you will have to make a square block, and then cut out the torso, arms and legs and put the head on top. To begin with, you can practice on a miniature man, and then build a larger figure.
Spongebob
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Like the Lego man, SpongeBob needs to be sculpted from a large ball of snow. All your creative abilities will be needed here. You can cheat a little by making a figure on a pile of snow - in this case it is enough to draw the outlines, eyes and smile.
marshmallow man
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Stay Puft from “Ghostbusters” is still the same snowman, only gigantic in size and with a big belly. Add folds on the arms and legs, a cap and a collar, and you can already start to fear the marshmallow monster.
Ice cream
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Form a larger ball, smooth it out in a circle with a spatula, giving it a cone shape, and cut out squares to make the base look like a waffle cone. All you have to do is place a neat ball on top, and the snow ice cream is ready.
New Year's figures made of snow for the street, photo
- Christmas tree. It is made on the basis of flattened lumps like a snowman, additionally spruce branches are cut out of snow;
- Hut. A square should be made from a compressed pile of snow. During processing, log thresholds and windows are cut out. In our version there is a clock, and a fabulous owl sits on top;
- Snake. Refers to year symbols. The snow snake can be sculpted in any position.
How and what kind of figures can be made from ice balls?
Possible shapes:
- Pyramid
- Lock
- New Year's balls on trees
- Turtle
- Snowman
- Christmas tree
ice ball figures ice ball figures
How to paint a figure made of snow
Snow figures look much more impressive if they are painted in different colors. To highlight your craft, you need to stock up on paints. Spray paint cans, which are sold in paint stores, or regular paint for drawing lessons will help us with this. The first option is a little expensive, but almost everyone has watercolor or gouache paints.
The snow figures turn out to be quite voluminous; simple brushes are not enough, and in severe frost they can freeze to the sculpture. What to do? First, let's find a suitable container and dilute the paint in it. Gouache or watercolor, the main thing is to get a rich color. A suitable container would be a jar, glass or, better yet, a clean plastic bottle.
Mix the colors thoroughly. Shake the container until the lumps of paint dissolve. Pour into a spray gun and spray paint. The snow figure will be evenly colored, and the figurine will be covered with a thin crust of ice, which will give the sculpture additional protection from wind and additional precipitation.
Instead of a spray bottle, you can use a wide container of diluted paint and a paint brush. A bucket is suitable as such a container. You can simplify the task by using a bottle and holes made in the cork. Children especially like this coloring. The paint pours onto the figure directly from the holes in the cork.
When working with paint it is worth remembering:
- The water in the bottle should be ice-cold, not warm, otherwise melted holes will appear in the figure;
- Each paint color is mixed separately;
- When diluting colors, you can use food coloring instead of paints. With them it will be easier to achieve the desired color;
- Saturated colors can be obtained from home pharmaceutical products: pink-red, burgundy - from potassium permanganate, green - from a tube of brilliant green, orange - from a bottle of iodine.
How to properly prepare snow for future processing
To ensure that the future snow figurine is similar to the sketch or original and retains its shape and configuration for a long time, you can use the following secrets:
- snow is collected in a bucket or special containers;
- the collected snow is treated with water from a spray bottle;
- a well-moistened mass is suitable for any modeling technique.
Knowing how to make snow figures with your own hands, you can pre-paint the snow mass with powder paints or liquid dyes.
