How to Build an Epic Snowman

It takes more than a corncob pipe and a button nose to make it truly magical (and lasting). Tom Day, whose team won the 2014 Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorodo, says not to haphazardly roll snow. Instead, tightly pack it in a trash can, then flip it over, to create a stable, dense base that you can sculpt into a rounded shape using a kitchen spatula. Next, form the torso and head balls. (These you can roll the old fashioned way.)

But before you stack them, make sure Frosty is toppleproof: “Scoop a small indent of the base ball so that the torso ball can nest on top, and lightly spritz with water between the balls to help them adhere,” says Day. Repeat this process with the head ball. When building your snowman, remember 3, 2, 1. (Base, 3 feet high; torso 2 feet high; head 1 foot high.) These proportions create an impressive six-footer.

It’s also smart to pick a shady spot. Then hope that Mother Nature cooperates with temperatures that hover near or below freezing. So you can run and have some fun now before he melts away.

This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

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