How to Build Your Best Snowman

While warm sunny days often get all the credit, you can still pack in a lot of fun as the weather turns colder. If you’re lucky enough to be around snow this season, read below for some tips for building a bigger, better, stronger snowman that’ll bring envy to the eye of neighbors and passersby.

Pick Your Place

The best snow for building comes in environments close to the freezing temperature. You want the snow to be a little wet, since dry, powdery snow is hard to form.  If you’re a perfectionist, you can even use a spray bottle to help get the consistency just right.  To increase the lifespan of your Frosty creation, remember to pick a shaded location. No time for tanning in the sun -- now, it’s time to get to work.

The Roll Ratio

Begin with snowballs about the size of your fist. As you roll the mounds that will eventually form the body of your snowman, be sure to build a good foundation with each tier. The 3:2:1 ratio generally works well – for example, if the bottom ball is 3 feet in diameter, the middle would be 2 feet, and the top would be 1 foot. While a gargantuan snowman can be both fearsome and fun to craft, more stability comes with keeping your stack close to the ground.

When Round Meets Flat

With balls rolled and close at hand, remember to lift the large snowballs with your legs, not your back. Flatten the top of the first ball and the bottom of the second ball to add some stability to your snowman – repeat this step with each ball. You can also add sticks to help hold together the segments together with unseen pins. Once stacked, you can pack a little bit of snow in between the segments to add even more stability to your masterpiece.

Get Creative

Sure, they sell snowman kits for purchase, but try and think outside the icebox.  Use reflectors or solar-powered LEDs for eyes or buttons to make your snowman stand out by day and by night. Ugly Christmas sweater? Yes please. Place wintery objects around it to set a scene, or even flip the story and send your snowman to the tropics. A Hawaiian shirt can add both color and comedy! Recall lessons from Frosty: sometimes the best part about a snowman is the tale of how and why he arrived. ReallyKidFriendly.com has a few creative ideas and BuzzFeed has some more extreme examples to get your creativity snowballing.  Then, don’t forget to take a picture of your creation before it melts away!

Tip: While it may not save your snowman, WD-40 Specialist_® Gel Lube offers 12x longer-lasting lubrication when compared to WD-40_® Multi-Use Product. Try some on exposed tools and equipment this winter to see the difference and save your gear from rust & corrosion.