How to Build a Cool Sand Castle
A beachfront home may be out of your price range, but you can always build yourself a swanky sand castle.
Up next in How to Have Fun at the Beach (15 videos)
Before hitting the shore, check out the advice and tips in this Howcast video series.
You Will Need
- Sand
- A shovel
- A bucket
- Bottomless circular containers of varying sizes
- Sculpting tools, like plastic utensils, paintbrushes, melon ballers, etc.
- A spray bottle
Steps
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Step 1
Pick a good spot
Pick a good spot. You want to be near enough to the ocean that you’ll have easy access to water, but not so close that high tide will destroy your masterpiece. The best spot is just above where the dark sand turns lighter.
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Step 2
Build a foundation
Wet an area of sand large enough for the castle you want to build. Pile buckets of sand on it, wet the sand, and tamp it down. Repeat until you have a firm foundation.
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Keep a spray bottle of water handy so you can keep your sand moist; wet sand is the key to castle building!
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Step 3
Start making towers
Start making towers with the help of your bottomless molds. Place the largest in the center of your foundation, fill it with very wet sand packed down as hard as you can. Place progressively smaller containers on top until you have a satisfactory wedding cake-like structure.
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Step 4
Carefully remove the molds
When all the molds are in place, carefully remove them.
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Step 5
Build a wall around the castle
Build a wall around the castle by stacking little piles of wet sand. Smooth the sides and tops with the bottom of your shovel.
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Step 6
Dig out archways
Take a plastic knife and gently cut into the wall to create a few archways.
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Use a plastic fork with the middle prongs removed to put the finishing touches on columns.
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Step 7
Add architectural details
Use your sculpting tools to carve out architectural details like staircases, windows, turrets, and doors.
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The town of Myrtle Beach built a 43-foot-tall sand castle in 2007 to attract visitors to the seaside resort.
