I usually call this design “Crystal Castle” or “Fairytale Castle,” but the truth is that it’s a pretty basic design compared to some elaborate ice castles that I’ve seen. I designed it as a straightforward piece for brides that want a castle at their reception. This sculpture is a facade and is designed to get the most size out of a little more

than a single block of ice. You’ll need a base piece (20”-30”x12”x4”) in addition to the two slabs of ice for the front piece and the main structure. If you decide to make the castle double-sided or more three-dimensional, then of course, you’ll need more ice.

If you’re short on ice and only have one block, then there’s an alternative method. However, this version is shorter and slightly less stable, so be aware of that. Instead of cutting slabs and attaching them to a base, you cut a smaller slab from the block for the front piece, and leave an “L” shaped piece of ice for the main structure. Below, you can see how this affects the look of the design. Also, you can see a basic side view of the two methods, with original version on the left and the “L” version on the right.

You can see from the graphic above that the original version is more stable. “L” type sculptures have a tendency to tip backwards because the center of gravity is shifted to the back. This sculpture is pretty stable after it’s completely set up because the front piece adds enough weight to the front of the sculpture. However, usually the “L” portion of the castle is put in place first and then the front piece is added. If you’re not paying attention, the “L” portion can fall while you’re readying the front piece. I’ve never been happy with the stability of “L” type sculptures, so I avoid them in most cases.

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