Every year, winter comes and lays out gorgeous thick blankets of snow covering the ground and although it’s best to clear it off of path walks, driveways, and roads, that’s also the perfect time to create some gorgeous winter sculptures in your yard!
Whether it’s your first time trying it or you've done it countless times before, making a few snow sculptures never hurt anyone. Keep reading to spark your creativity with some incredibly creative and unique snow sculpture ideas that you can do for your home.
1. Christmas Elves
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During the holidays, Santa wouldn’t be who he is without his helpful little elves! Turn your yard into a little workshop for these adorable snow elves and have fun giving them all kinds of expressions and tasks for the season. As with most snow sculptures, start this project off by collecting snow in large plywood forms before carving out your little helpers!
2. Season of L-O-V-E
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Winter holidays mean that there’s tons of love going around. Make your own loving reminder of this with a quirky snow sculpture, carving L-O-V-E out in your favorite fonts and typography. You could do this with any word or message your want but it might be easier if you stick to four-letter words when tackling this.
3. Here Comes the Sun
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While the cold season is beautiful and magical, it also severely lacks time under the sun. When the frost comes, it also brings the longest nights of the year. Combat this by sculpting out your personal sun in your snowy yard! You can also give your sun sculpture more personality by carving out a unique face in its center, making it truly one of a kind.
4. Winter Fort
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Set up your yard for outdoor winter playtime by building snow forts with the family! Not only will this be exciting and relatively easy to sculpt, but it also creates the perfect battlefield for a laughter-filled snowball fight. Even after everyone’s tired out, anyone passing by will see a lovely winter landscape that makes your home look exciting and comfortable.
5. Christmas Wizard
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If you’re a fan of any fictional universe bursting with magic, show it off with a wizard snow sculpture! Taking the time to sculpt your favorite wizarding characters in your yard shows off your personality and interests. It also makes for a fantastic conversation starter and can help you introduce your favorite magical stories to anyone who asks about it.
6. An Apple a Day
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Though snowy apples might not keep the doctor away, they do make your home look ten times more interesting! In this list of snow sculpture ideas, an apple-shaped sculpture is one of the easier designs to carve out. It’s great for beginners who want to familiarize themselves with the snow sculpting process and try their hand at sculpting out curves, texture, and indentations.
7. Choo Choo Christmas
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When snowfall has been particularly thick and you find yourself with a huge mound in your yard, make the most of it by transforming it into large structures. Though an industrial train snow sculpture can look intimidating at first glance, it’s a great way to make a statement out of loads of snow and helps you show off (or practice!) your talent with details.
8. Benchwarmer
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Garden benches are essentially useless during winter since most people would rather rush inside to somewhere warm than sit out in the cold.
In that case, why not make your bench a little less lonely by sculpting a man sitting on it? Though they won’t warm your bench, it’s a playful way to keep it occupied and offer company to the person who ventures out for winter air.
9. Table Topper
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Don’t let your outdoor garden tables go to waste this season! Although there’s little to no chance of ever using it when it’s snowing, you can keep these outdoor furnishings looking fashionable in the frost by adding some adorable tabletop snow sculptures. No matter how simple or complex they are, they’ll be a lovely seasonal feature in your yard.
10. Loved up Swans
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If you really have no plans of using your garden seating, let these lovebirds enjoy it instead! This is a pair of swans sitting on top of a classic bench. It’s a straightforward snow sculpture that quickly brings a smile to people’s faces and improves the winter landscape in your yard.
11. Picnic Collage
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Though it’s not the best season to hold a picnic, you can keep your picnic table occupied with some lovely snow sculptures! It doesn’t have to be big or complex, simply make some snow people sit around the area and leave some snowy food on your picnic table to keep the area scenic and cozy.
12. Nativity In Snow
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One staple of Christmas landscapes is nativity scenes made in all kinds of sizes, colors, and materials— including snow! If you’d like one in your yard, making it with snow grabs attention and turns your garden into a lovely winter picture. Additionally, using snow makes your post-Christmas pack-up easier since you can just let it melt or tear it down when the holiday is over.
13. Abstract Wild Animals
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When you want to branch out and try recreating living creatures in your snowy yard but aren’t too confident yet in your skills, there’s an easy way around it. Simply change up your style and make abstract animals. Not only will these be easier to form, but they could also entertain your mind as you, your family, and all your guests imagine the different kinds of animals it could be.
14. Unicorn Magic
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Snowfall can create quite an otherworldly look around your home that makes it seem unreal. Keep this mysterious appeal going by adding other unreal snow sculptures to your yard! This simple snow unicorn looks incredible and yet is deceptively easy to make. Not only will it keep your home stunning, but it’s also destined to impress everyone who visits you.
15. Cheerful Characters
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If you or anyone in your home is a fan of children’s characters, take this opportunity to make them part of your winter yard! Simply creating a pillar with the faces of all your favorite characters carved into it calls attention to your home. It’s a fun project to do that also shares your interests with the public and can help you find more common interests with your neighbors.
16. Color the Snow
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Not everyone is a fan of the color of snow. It’s a striking shade of white that can look empty and boring but also easily turns muddy if you dig too deep or if you used slushy snow. Luckily, you can easily fix this by adding fabric dye! This transforms your snow sculptures from a stark white into something more colorful, vibrant, and playful.
17. A Little Friend
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Though large and detailed structures look great as snow sculptures, some might prefer a more subtle approach. For those looking for understated snow statues, consider scattering little humans around your home, leaning against your wall, sitting by your fence, or hiding behind your trees. This helps you indulge in simple snow sculptures without taking away from the rest of your holiday decor.
18. Shelled in Snow
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Linework is an important part of snow sculpting and if you want to practice this skill, do it on snow turtles! They’re relatively easy to shape and you can give them a large shell to help you hone your mastery of line details. Creating a gorgeous pattern on your shell is a fantastic tactic that transforms simple structures into something more elaborate.
19. Pacman Yard
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Video games have been around for decades and a classic one that everyone will know and love is Pacman! Fortunately, you can bring Pacman and his gang to your winter landscape through little snow sculptures. These are beginner-friendly shapes that can be a great winter activity with your family when they’re restless and want to play out in the snow.
20. Sculpted Collections
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Collecting figurines and action figures has become a very common hobby. Though these figurines are usually displayed somewhere special inside your home, you can take some inspiration from your collection and recreate your favorite ones with snow! No matter who the character is, your figurines equip you with the perfect reference for your snow sculpture.
21. Snowy Pines
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When a tree sheds its leaves in autumn, they don’t usually grow back until spring. If that leaves you with naked trees, consider making some pine tree snow sculptures to fill your yard instead. It’s a basic project that helps occupy empty spaces, adds dimension, and makes your garden more unique and festive, easily turning your yard into a white winter wonderland!
22. Fun With Ornaments
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Be smart with your snow sculpture strategy. If you want something festive but don’t have the confidence to build something big and bold, you can cheat it with holiday ornaments! These are basic snowmen and pine tree sculptures that are instantly elevated with the clever use of ornaments. It’s a speedy way to stun your guests, especially if you want to leave with a wonderful first impression of your home.
23. Cold Comfort
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One quirky way to make your home look more intriguing is by creating odd snow sculptures that pique curiosity and make your house easy to remember. One playful design that you can do is to create a comfy-looking sofa chair with the snow in your yard. It’s a unique sight that you don’t see often and is sure to generate lots of interest in your home.
24. Worldwide Landmarks
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Though the global pandemic has made it more difficult to travel around the world like we used to, you can still show your wanderlust through snow sculptures! Recreate your favorite landmarks from other countries, whether you’ve been there or you’re still dreaming to go. This is also a clear way of adding more of your personality to your outdoor spaces.
25. Winter Playground
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Even if your children’s backyard playtime gets cut short due to winter’s early nights, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get to enjoy the snow! Make snow days even more exciting for your kids by building them a mini winter playground with a snowy slide and steps. Take it a step further by modeling it after their favorite shows and characters!
26. Carved Messages
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Another subtle sculpting approach you might enjoy is carving out little messages in the snow that only people entering your home can read clearly.
This can help you welcome your guests during special dinners in a very clever way! By having this read out a lovely message, you could get all your visitors in a celebratory mood much faster.
27. Ice Pets
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Housepets effortlessly add a sweeter touch to your memories but if your home doesn’t have one, making one out of snow can create some fun moments as well! Luckily, a pet snow sculpture is easy to make, doesn’t require much time, and is so much more low-maintenance than an actual pet.
28. The Big Snow Dog
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Some people like dogs while others love them. If you’re someone who loves dogs, have you considered building a snow sculpture of your favorite dog’s head? Mans best friend looks amazing when made out of snow and can be made to look like any breed you want. This is incredibly eye-catching and will fascinate children, adults, and other dogs alike!
29. Winter Wolf Pack
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While pet snow sculptures are adorable, take it to the next level by sculpting a winter wolf pack in your yard! You can recreate this project by adding more details to beginner-friendly dog sculptures. Doing this will make your home look like a resting place for fearsome white wolves. Fortunately, this looks amazing no matter how many wolves you make— or if you choose to have a lone wolf instead.
30. Happy on the Ground
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This little sculpture is shaped like a humanoid blob laying on its back on the snowy ground, with hands rubbing its belly and a huge smile on its face. Use this idea as proof that your snow art doesn’t have to be realistic to make an impact. All your snow sculptures have to do is make you smile and the quickest way to go about that is by carving some smiley faces into whatever you make.
31. Ghostly White
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While winter is usually a time of celebration and merriment, some people find joy differently. For those who have a keen interest in supernatural tales and horror stories, an angry ghostly white snow sculpture like this is right up your alley. Though it’s neither realistic nor threatening, it sends a clear message about your hobbies and interests without scaring anyone away.
32. Pancake Snow Days
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Looking for something simple and sweet? It’s hard to find a sculpture that’s easier to make than this tall stack of pancakes! Using clean and firm snow, tightly pack it into a circular mold to create each snow pancake and carefully stack them tall. For this mold, you can opt for large plates or trays that can withstand snow and pressure.
33. A Cold Plot of Land
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Designating a specific area for snow sculptures helps direct people where to go to admire your cold art. Not only will this organize your yard, but this would also make for a great play area if your snow sculptures ever collapse and you and your family need to build new ones again. Using this technique would also lessen the chances of having muddy snow around your sculptures.
34. Bunny Hops
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Another unassuming winter wonderland detail you can add to your home is some adorable creatures. These rabbits are small, simple to make, and easy to hide around your yard. When guests find them, it’s going to be a great surprise for everyone involved! Some hiding areas we recommend for these are by your bushes, near your trees, and under your garden furniture.
35. Piggy Snow Bank
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If you want to go big with your snow sculpture, you don’t have to make it complicated! This snow piggy bank is as large as a person but features a simple design that’s easily distinguishable yet not difficult to accomplish. This would make an amusing sight in your yard and can also be a testament to your great humor and playfulness.
36. A Teaching Moment
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You can turn your snow sculpting day into an inconspicuous biology lesson by building some large animals or rare dinosaurs together with your kids or with your nieces and nephews. This would organically open up an educational conversation around your home and help cultivate a natural curiosity in children that could serve them well as they grow up!
37. Cultural Homage
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This winter, celebrate your roots with the snow! Create snow sculptures of your favorite cultural symbols to pay tribute to your ancestry or your country. Doing this shows off an immense pride in where you’ve come from and can also invite your neighbors to learn more about your beloved culture from you.
38. Swimming in Snow
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A little snow can’t stop you from loving the ocean! Making simple sculptures of your favorite sea creatures in your yard will make it look like a gorgeous seabed blanketed in snow. This shows off your interest in all things marine and is a great winter project to keep the blues away. Take it a step further and throw in some colorful corals as well!
39. Movie Magic
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Movie nights are great during any season but winter makes it the perfect time to cuddle! If you have a favorite movie that you watch all the time, share it with your block by recreating some of its iconic elements and scenes in the snow. These sculptures are modeled after Disney’s Wall-E and show off its two main characters.
40. Winter Friends
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Most people love the holidays but no one loves it more than children! These snow sculptures depict three happy kids with their favorite toys in the snow. It’s a great way to add more meaningful elements to your yard, especially if you recreate this idea while inspired by the children in your family.
41. Snowy Rushmore
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Although few sites can rival the speechlessness that Mount Rushmore leaves you with, a snow sculpture inspired by it will definitely impress whoever sees it. It’s a great way to make art out of a huge snow mound without moving around too much. You can also make this more personal by carving out the faces of your favorite characters, animals, or your family.
42. Dancing Dragon
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Add something dynamic to your yard with this dancing dragon snow sculpture. It’s a slightly advanced project that’s great for beginners who want to try their hand at a more fluid and complex project that’s still doable. This is also a clever way to refine your skills in detail work thanks to the countless scales that complete it.
43. Detailed Faces
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You don’t need large and complex structures to grab people’s attention! This detailed face is an incredibly interesting snow carving that shows off a unique art style. It’s a very creative and out-of-the-box approach that’s fantastic if you tend to gravitate to more expressive work and don’t care much for realistic sculptures.
44. Snowy Aquarium
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Have you thought about having an aquarium in front of your home? This is a child-friendly project that’s easy to do with kids and gives them a safe snowy play area in your yard. It can be as colorful and as detailed as you and your kids want to make it— the sky is the limit! When this isn’t a play area, this would also make for a quirky background for some adorable family photos.
45. Ice Crown
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Sometimes, we only have enough energy to make a classic three-ball traditional snowman in your yard. There’s no shame in that, especially since it’s a timeless snowy structure that everyone knows and adores! One tip we can share to make it more unique and special is to top your traditional snowman off with delicate crowns made from ice to give them a more royal edge.
46. Lawn Sharks
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Add something fearsome to your lawn with this terrifying shark! This sculpture looks like it’s jumping out of the ground and is a lawn feature that’s hard to ignore. This fun activity makes for a fun photo op setting as well and is surprisingly easy to do. As long as you build its base properly, the rest of the lawn shark details won’t take much effort to finish. You can even add some food coloring to spark things up a bit!
47. Wave Away
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Whether you’ve sculpted an animal, a person, or your favorite character out of the snow, you can make your lawn more cheerful and welcoming with a simple wave. Creating your sculptures with a raised hand makes it look like someone is waving hello and goodbye to your guests and people passing by. Not only will this be a heartwarming sculpture for the cold, but it also effortlessly brings a smile to everyone’s faces.
48. Snowy Teddy
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This is an effortless twist on the classic snowman sculpture— just add on an adorable pair of bear ears! This gives your yard a lovable snow teddy bear that makes your home look sweeter and younger. It’s a simple adjustment that makes a huge difference, especially if you add a cheerful smile to your face.
49. Ice Cold Bust
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Size up your snow sculpture game! You could make an eye-catching statement piece on your yard by creating a snowy bust of someone you admire. It’s a quick and easy way to make your home stand out. The most difficult part of this is correctly scaling up its details but once you’ve done that, the rest is easy.
50. Lined in Lights
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Since creative snow sculptures take so much time to finish, don’t let them disappear when night falls! Improve your yard lighting and use outdoor string lights to shine a clever light on your sculptures. Not only will they be easier to see in the evening, but it also makes your yard look more enchanting, striking, and memorable.
51. Carved in Waves
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Snow sculpture murals are gorgeous, especially when they’re made with a detailed eye. However, you wouldn’t want to clutter a mural with too many things. After freely sculpting the picture you want to show, you can instead just add simple texture to empty areas by carving out clean and simple waves. You can even add food coloring for a fantastic visual reference!
52. Sailing Through the Snow
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Though winter makes it hard to sail away, the nautical aesthetic still translates amazingly in the snow. This snowy creation is shaped like a ship, complete with an anchor, a net, flowing sails, and shiplap details. It’s a fun piece to create and will captivate children as well, helping them fulfill some pirate fantasies!
53. Cold Caves
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Create your very own winter garden hideout using snow! Make a cave using the snow in your yard to give yourself a deceptively private escape right in the middle of your yard. Though it’s a temporary getaway that will melt when the temperatures start rising again, it’s a fantastic addition to your winter yard that can help you find some peace in the cold.
54. Neatly Sculpted
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One thing many snow sculptors get wrong when they start is by adding in too many unnecessary details. Though intricate work is gorgeous, too many details can make your sculptures look messy and take away the beauty of snow sculpting. It’s better to keep your amazing snow sculptures neat, easy to digest, and professional-looking, even if you need to sacrifice some details to do that.
55. Alice in Snowland
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Bring your favorite storybooks and fairytales to life with snow sculptures! This sculpture recreates Mad Hatter’s tea party from Alice In Wonderland. It’s a great way to fill a space and show off your playful side in a classier approach. Since these stories are such a huge part of everyone’s childhood, sculptures inspired by them always leave a great impression on the people who see them.
56. Duck, Duck, Snow!
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When it’s too cold to visit the park and feed the ducks around the pond, what do you do when you miss seeing them? Though unconventional, a lighthearted way to tackle this is to transform your yard into a duck pond! Simply make some duck-shaped snow sculptures on your lawn to make it look like an overgrown resting place for your favorite birds.
57. Your Coldest Vases
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These huge vase snow sculptures make you feel tiny standing beside them! Building these is a great way to show off your attention to detail in a sophisticated approach. Filling your yard with large snow vases is an eyecatching and entertaining sight that’ll make anyone walking through them feel like they’re in a different world.
58. Mushroom Top
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If you want to build giant versions of tiny things but aren’t interested in making huge vases, these large snow mushrooms are a fantastic and much simpler alternative! Not only are they easy to shape, but they also transform your yard into a fairytale wonderland that will intrigue your guests and enchant visiting children as they play in the snow.
59. Riding on Snow
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Not everyone has their dream car sitting in their driveway yet but maybe you can have a version of it in your yard this winter. Freely express your love for cars by making a snow sculpture of your favorite car models in any size or color you want. Not only does this show off your interests, but it’s also heaps of fun to do!
60. Heels Over Head
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You don’t have to do something large and complex if you want to build a unique, out-of-the-box, and memorable snow statue— sometimes you just have to change your perspective! Though this has all the characteristics of our classic snowman, it’s flipped on its head for a quirky touch. Not only does it look funny, but it’s also an unforgettable sight.
61. Tree Huggers
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Don’t let your trees go bare in the winter. There are countless ways to beautify your trees for winter and this is our favorite method: snowy tree huggers! It’s a simple and effective tactic that adds personality and liveliness to your yard. These are made of snow and shaped like adorable forest animals to make a more fascinating sight.
62. Snowy Cottage
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How do you feel about giving your home a cottage? This snow sculpture is shaped like a quaint cottage in the woods and brings with it an undeniable charm! You can build this easily with lots of packed snow and it can also help you practice a variety of snow sculpting techniques at a larger scale, allowing you to play with depth, texture, contours, and height.
63. A Hand in Snow
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Funny enough, one type of sculpture that always attracts attention is the oversized hand sculpture. These can be made in any hand position you want and can be a fun feature to take pictures with. A general favorite position for this is a pair of snow hands you can sit on!
64. Musical Winter
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You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy music. It’s a universal love that transcends a lot of barriers and helps man people connect. Express your musical passions with snow sculptures inspired by it and featuring some of your favorite instruments. You could also take this to the next level by having outdoor speakers play music near it when you’re expecting guests to arrive!
65. Iced in Detail
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When you’ve made your snowy landscape but you feel it needs a finer touch, these icy details could help! Ice and snow are classic pairs in winter scenery and can be a huge help if you’re having trouble completing your snow sculpture due to some of its more delicate details. Instead of using snow, see if you can use ice instead.
In Summary
By now, it must be obvious that there are tons of sculptures you can make with snow in your yard. These sculptures can elevate your home and transform it into something that shows off your personality, humor, and interests.
It’s also a fantastic way of making your home more memorable and inviting to anyone who drops in or passes by. Don’t be daunted by these ideas— all you need is a little snow and elbow grease to recreate any of the sculptures on this list.
Trust your gut and know that if you make a mistake, try again after the next snowfall!