Build a 6'8" Lighted Statue of Liberty Made of Snow

Ever wanted to make a snow sculpture, but thought it would be too hard? Well with this instructable; I will show you how to turn some snow, a strand of Christmas lights, and about three hours of work into a great looking Statue of Liberty.

As I said, this took me about three hours to make alone. It might be beneficial to have a partner help to lift the snow blocks. This technique works best with heavy, wet snow; as this is much better for packing. Make sure you dress warmly and know any signs of frost bite or frost nip.

Step 1: What You'll Need

For this project, you'll need some common household items:
A 23.9x15.9x16.5 in. plastic tote
A metal garden spade
Something to stand on (I used a chair)
A snow shovel

Step 2: Create the Base

Use your snow shovel to fill the plastic tote with snow. Make sure the snow is tightly packed. If the snow is not tightly enough packed it will not support the weight of the body or fall apart. Once you have a tightly packed block flip the tote upside down and tap the the top to loosen the snow block. Grip the handles or sides of the tote a gentle wiggle the tote until the block comes free.

You will need to make four of these snow blocks and position them in a rectangle as seen in the picture. It is okay if there are gaps between the snow bricks as you will fill them in the next step.

Step 3: Fill Gaps With Snow

Take loose snow and fill the gaps between the blocks you just laid. This will add strength to the base and will make the statue look better. It is fine if there is a hole in the center. The hole will be covered by the statue later.

Step 4: Start Building the Body

Fill the tote again to make another block. Place this block on top of the base and center it as best you can. Create another block and set on top of the first. Fill the crack in between the blocks with snow as soon as you place the second block on the first. This will help secure the top block to the bottom. Make a third block and place it on the top of the tower of blocks. Fill the cracks as soon as possible. Now use your gloved hand to rub away the ridges left by the tote to create a smooth tower.

Step 5: Carve the Body of the Statue

You need to plan out the features you will carve. I took the garden spade to draw the outline on the tower. Then use the spade to shave away the snow outside of the outline. Once You have reached the outline, use your hands to round the sides of the statue.

Step 6: Carve Details

Use your spade to carve out details from the body. I carved some of the main folds in Lady Liberty's robe. I also began to shape her right arm and head.

Step 7: Make Right Arm and Torch

Add snow on to the right shoulder of the statue. Shape into the shape of an arm but do not include a hand. Take one bulb of the strand of large lights and cover it with a snow ball. If this ball does not look like a flame shape it with your spade. Then add a disk of snow underneath the bulb and begin to add sow for the shaft. Once the shaft is shaped, attach the completed torch to the arm. Use snow to support the torch. Shape this support snow into a hand.

Step 8: Build the Head

Add snow on top of the already started head. Pack this snow into the shape of a head. Use the spade and your hands to shape facial features. On my statue I carved away some snow to create cheeks and eyebrows and added snow to create a nose, but feel free to add as many details as you would like. To create the crown, add a bowl shape to the top of the head. Then carve triangles out of this bowl to create the spikes of the crown.

Step 9: Add the Tablet and Left Arm

To create the tablet, shovel a thin layer of snow into the tote. Pack this snow into a slab in half of the tote (see picture). Next scrape a hole about the length and width into the side of the statue. Carefully remove the tablet from the tote and insert it into the slit. Use loose snow to support the tablet. To create the hand, add a pack of snow to the side of the tablet.

Step 10: Finish the Lighting

To hide all unwanted lighting, simply push the bulb into the back of the statue or cover it with snow. To create the lighting on the base, wrap the strand of lights around the top of the base. To hold the strand in place pack snow over the wire near the plug.

Step 11: Paint It Green

Use a misting spray bottle and green food color diluted with water to spray your statue. Depending on how much dye you use, the color of green will be lighter or darker. Spray all of the statue except for the flame on the torch and the base.