Build a snow couch, or "snofa"

I started this project after I saw the instructable about a Snow Hand, but didn't think i had the artistic ability to complete it. A friend of mine had mentioned that she wanted to build snow furniture when we learned about the impending snow blizzard in the midwest, and the snow-day resulting from it.

One very important point I'd like to make with this instructable is that you can do this. I was always a spectator. It was great to just be able to look at and have access to these incredible projects, however "pointless" they seemed at first. I wouldn't do them because I just wasn't motivated to do so, and the reward of just having done it wasn't enough for me. However several factors have influenced me lately, like the Neistat Brothers, to start doing more "random" projects. I've always  wanted to do the projects, I just never wanted to do the projects. The block that stops me or anyone from starting these projects is entirely superficial though, and no one is incapable of doing it. It is not a matter of having the will power to start a big project, it's about whether or not you realize that you have the will power. I'm 17 years old, and have plenty of excuses to not do a project like this, but as an exercise in blind activism I embarked on this project.
You'll lead a much more fulfilling life if you step out of your comfort zone a bit every day; nothing great has ever purposely come from not doing so!

I'm also currently working on an electric skateboard, which should be a dangerous blast once the summer rolls around. I'll post an instructable for it here.

I'm dividing this instructable into separate categories of the portions of the sculpture, but in reality I kind of did it all at once, in order to help me get a better over all picture of the couch I wanted to build. It's not necessary to follow the instructions in order.

Please comment if you have any questions at all, or suggestions for this or future instructables!

Step 1 Materials

Of course, none of these tools are absolutely necessary, you could do it naked and with your hands,  but what I advice to use is:

- Tough snowpants with plenty of insulation since you'll be on your knees a lot
- Proper winter layers including jacket, shell, and hat
- Water-proof gloves and boots , a life saver
- a large shovel for scooping and piling
- a smaller shovel , with a  straight and flat edge for shaping
- a small brush cutting saw , for fine shaping
- a screw driver or trowel for accents
- a good idea of the kind of sofa you want to make
- plenty of snowfall, at LEAST 3 or 4 inches of packable snow

Comments

[technoplastique]

I think you missed a really great opportunity to popularize the word "snofa". Great project!

[Z.Backas]

I'll add it to the title, thanks!

[chuckr44]

"Spray the snow with mist from a spray bottle."

In the summer they sell these pump up sprayers either in the garden center, or Walgreen's. They might work well instead of a small hand sprayer. Just fill them with water, pump up the pressure, and spray away. The personal size sprayers give off a very fine mist intended to cool you in the summer heat.

The other sprayers are for spraying pesticides. But a new one will be fine if used with plain water. Just mark it "water only".

[Z.Backas]

That sounds like a fantastic idea! The spray bottle in the end did not end up working for me, but mainly because it did not have enough time to freeze and the weather quickly warmed up. It was also really really tiring to keep pumping the trigger. Thanks for the suggestion!

[evilmadcow]

i'm gonna put one of these in my igloo/snow tunnel/snow fort this winter.

[cornonthecobert]

Could you use a garden hose with a nozzle attachment on a mist setting?

[Z.Backas]

That would work out perfectly! It's just that most people wouldn't have their hose out in the winter to prevent it from freezing up.

[PenfoldPlant]

Hey, I've only just noticed this one. Fantastic job!

I hope that you spent some time relaxing on your sculpture once it was done. It looks great and you did a brilliant job writing the project up.

[Z.Backas]

Thanks for the comment!
Your hand really was my initial motivation! I loved the idea that I could make something so big for free.
Unfortunately I never got to fully relax on it since it got too warm after I finished!
You're project was very well-written too!

Did anyone ever stop and ask about your sculpture or comment while you were making it?

[PenfoldPlant]

Actually yes, a lot of people stopped to chat while I was making my sculpture. Different people seemed to interpret it in different ways. One person thought it was a religious symbol, while others thought I was just trying to give a massive middle finger to the neighbours. A few wanted to take photos with it, too.

On the whole, people just wanted to ask what it was, since it didn't really resemble anything recognisable until the last hour or so of its construction. How about with your sofa? Did you get much interest from passersby?

[Z.Backas]

That sounds like a lot of fun!
I got a lot of attention from my sofa. Multiple times during building, people would stop by in their cars and yell out "nice job" or something like that, and most people walking their dogs would chat with me. I even saw a few people snap photos from their cars when it was finished! I probably didn't have as many people as you had stop by though, since mine was in a more residential area.

I also got my picture in the local paper sitting on it, and as a result of that a politician sent me a letter! It was really incredible the reaction I got just from doing something a bit outside of the box.

[noah279878582]

:D this is so cool :P how did you make it? just kidding XP

[kelseymh]

Outstanding result, and a great writeup!

[Z.Backas]

Thanks! The entire project and write-up really was a great experience. The Instructable aspect really gave me an immediate purpose whenever it got difficult. I'm surprised to see how little instructables these days are actually fully drawn out step by step instructions.

[kelseymh]

Well, there are a couple of contests running for which "just photos" are solicited as entries, which is part of the reason for the bias.

[Z.Backas]

Ah I see.
Just a suggestion: maybe you should devise a system so that people do not post the same instructable twice as a step-by-step and a picture only for purposes of entering a specific "just photos" contest? Just to avoid redundancy and clean it up a bit.

[kelseymh]

In fact, the biggest complaint long-time users have is how many new people are posting just a picture, not even several, and often with little or no explanation :-(

[Z.Backas]

Absolutely! Though I think the reason for this might be in part due to the Instructables slogan itself; "The worlds biggest show and tell" doesn't exactly include anything about instructions, or DIY for that matter. It's a great slogan, but maybe it can just be misinterpreted.
There are also those projects that are so good, people will be okay with just a picture. Not that they don't want more explanation, but just that it's so incredible.

[billbach]

Awesome job. Thanks for sharing.

[Z.Backas]

You too sir! You had an incredible writeup and product there!

[farzadbayan]

I like to sit on this sofa !

[tbone121]

nice job

[xAxrules]

I actually made one of these about around a year ago, it was quite such an awesome shape, but you could still tell it was a 'snofa' and you could sit on it.

Made it out of my bare hands though, and it was way too cold to sit on for anything longer than about a minute!

[Z.Backas]

Thanks for sharing your picture! Couches like those really were part of the inspiration for mine, but I just had a bit more time and a larger vision, plus some tools. The bare hands division is an entirely different game though, great job!

[Pizzapie500]

NOOOOOOOO! It's 60 degrees in NJ right now! (well at least where I live). It's weird though b/c there's still like a quarter inch of snow on the ground

[Z.Backas]

Haha that's basically the exact same conditions we've got going on here in Chicago, even after the two feet we had a few weeks ago!

[domestic_engineer]

can you sit on it?

[Z.Backas]

In it's prime? Yes! the first day the snow was soft and fluffy but it was sub zero for a few nights after i started carving it, which kind of made the snow crunchy and hard. I couldn't full relax on it, or maybe lay down without leaving a mark, but if I just kept some weight on my feet and went kinda slowly, I was absolutely able to sit on it, I was trying to completely ice it over, but recently the temperature has just spiked and as of now, it's more like a snow bench. It completely fell over during just two days of 40- upper 50 degree temperatures.
If I had more time though of cold temperatures, and was able to put more water on it and have it freeze solid, I imagine you could treat it like you would a normal couch, maybe even jump on it!

[shantal]

I almost squirted peppermint tea out my nose when I read the word "snofa." Very creative and amusing project!

[Z.Backas]

Haha thanks! All credit to the name goes to technoplastique though!

[elliottpapineau]

"This would be great in a big igloo. just sayin."

It would be great next to a sidewalk so you can sit down and enjoy the view, not sit down and look at the walls of an igloo. Terrible idea.

[hahns]

That looks great!
Such a shame it never snows like that in Sydney.

[Lindie]

COOL!!!

[nneul]

But where is the Snow TV- I HAVE to watch the weather channel...

Good instrucable, sounds like fun to build.

[Z.Backas]

I was going to make one, but the day after I created the rough shape the snow iced over! Next year.

[rainbuilder]

This would be great in a big igloo. just sayin.