Snow sculptures are a fun way to make use of the snow which adults grow to hate and which kids are totally enamored with. Next time you’re snowed in, forget about shoveling that snow to the sides, and instead put that white gold toward creating a ride-able Tauntaun sculpture. If you read my previous article about the AT-AT Snow Sculpture, you’ll likely recognize the setting and the children in these pics. Indeed, this sculpture was done by the same guy, Miguel Valenzuela.
Once again, he provides instructions on how to create your own, and even a time-lapse video so you can see the progression from lumps of snow to a replica of the smelly snow-traversing mount from The Empire Strikes Back. The tools are quite simple, including some tools for adding detail and sculpting, a spray bottle of water to act as what the artist calls “Snow Glue”, and a stick to use as a sort of spine for the sculpture. It would appear that the most difficult part is not so much the building, but getting the fictional beast to look true to form. I’m sure that if I tried this myself, I’d end up with a half-melted kangaroo, but if you have at least some artistic sense then it’s definitely worth attempting.
By far the coolest part, however, is that you can even carve a seat into the sculpture. If you use some rope or a leather strap, you can even make a harness for that added detail. A snowball duel between an AT-AT and a Tauntaun would be great, but either of them alone should provide some fun for young children. Heck, you could even try riding it yourself. Sure, it will likely crumble to the ground, but you know it’d be totally worth it. If, like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, you’re instead looking for a warmer use for a Tauntaun, check out this Tauntaun Sleeping Bag.
