Winter isn’t coming, it’s here! We’re all preparing to tuck into our best sweaters, coats, shawls and woolen socks so we can battle the snow, but there are a few people out there who have found a creative use for the cold instead. Ice sculptures have been a common decorative tool at weddings, galas and other types of events. However, these artists make use of the most natural form of this chilly resource, building masterpieces from the thousands of snowflakes we are dreading. Talk about making the best of a frosty situation! We’ve collected these 25 photos so you can enjoy the beauty of snow from the warmth of your home.
1. The finest castle in the snow kingdom
2. Finnish folk tales at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival
(By Rincewind42, Wikimedia Commons)
3. The castle is under attack! To arms!
(topoftheworldgirl.weebly.com)
4. 52 Foot tall snow sculpture of Finland’s Helsinki Cathedral, at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan.
5. Snow Sculpture at the Snow and Ice World festival in Harbin, China
(By Rincewind42, Wikimedia Commons)
6. A Snoopy snow sculpture made for the 67th Sapporo Snow Festival
(By Ominae, Wikimedia Commons)
7. A snow sculpture made by Team Macao for the 67th Sapporo Snow Festival
(By Ominae, Wikimedia Commons)
8. Snow Sculpture of Dr. Seuss at the 2004 Dartmouth Winter Carnival
(By Kaszeta, Wikimedia Commons)
9. This hog is ready to ride! A snow sculpture at the 2010 US Snow Sculpting Competition
(dank1012, Flickr)
10. Battling a Dragon, at the Sapporo Snow Festival 2011
(Alex Hurst, Flickr)
11. The Navy Misawa snow sculpture team sculpting a snow bust of "The Lone Sailor", for the 63rd Annual Sapporo Snow Festival.
(By U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Daniel Sanford, Wikimedia Commons)
12. A snow sculpture of an accordionist (L'accordeoniste) from Winterlude in Ottawa and Gatineau, Canada, February 2011.
(By QUOI Media Group from Canada - L'accordeoniste, Wikimedia Commons)
13. A Sculpture of a train amidst a village at the 18th Siberian Snow Sculpture Festival, Novosibirsk, Russia.
(By К.Артём, Wikimedia Commons)
14. A Mini Cooper made entirely from snow
15. The nativity scene in all its snowy glory
16. A tiny guarded little city, at the 17th Siberian Snow Sculpture Festival, Novosibirsk, Russia
(By К.Артём, Wikimedia Commons)
17. Snow Sculpture of a mystical flutist at the Snow and Ice World festival in Harbin, China
(By Dayou_X, Wikimedia Commons)
18. Snow Sculpture from the Asahikawa Winter Festival
(By 京浜にけ, Wikimedia Commons)
19. This Kiwi, a national favorite of the people of New Zealand, has got his sunglasses on and a drink in his hand while relaxing on the beach.
(By SteFou!, Wikimedia Commons)
20. This depiction of Death, made out of snow, one of the exhibits at the Snow World exhibition on Sun Island in Harbin, China
(By Rincewind42, Wikimedia Commons)
21. A steam train made of snow at the Snow World exhibition on Sun Island in Harbin, China
(By Rincewind42, Wikimedia Commons)
22. Snow Sculpture of a Butterfly on a Branch, south of the Art Museum on Michigan Avenue, Chicago.
(By Serge Melki, Wikimedia Commons)
23. A sculpture of a group of musicians in the 2011 Harbin International Snow Sculpture EXPO, held in Sun Island Park .
(By Caliva, Wikimedia Commons)
5 Most Unusual Christmas Markets Around Europe
Visit the 5 most unique Christmas markets in Europe.
Travel to the Whimsical Hidden Region of Patagonia
Photographer Doru Oprisan went to Patagonia and back to capture the enchanting colors of fall at "the end of the world."
Dragons in Mythology: To Each Culture a Different Dragon
Mythology has been filled with stories of different types of dragons. These are the most iconic dragons in folklore from around the world.
Mankind is Capable of Creating The Most Astounding Things!
With only our two hands, we humans have managed to create some truly beautiful things like these 20 wondrous gifts spread across the world
Recycling Gets a Fairytale Twist With Wooden Troll Statues
Recycled art is a fun and creative way to send a message and these trolls by Danish artist Thomas Dambo are the perfect examples of that
11 Hilariously Bad Reviews of Famous Sights Illustrated
These hilarious travel posters illustrate the worst and funniest reviews of famous travel destinations.
André Rieu's Gorgeous Rendition of "I Will Follow Him"
Andre Rieu takes this classic song and turns it into a performance with so much passion and talent that it seems almost new again. Extraordinary!
This Artist Recreated His Childhood Town & It's Impressive
Eddie Putera, creates stunning miniature dioramas to recapture his childhood. Take a look.
This Magician Sure Fooled Me! How Did He Do It?
Does this magician have what it takes to fool Penn and Teller? Watch His Fascinating Trick Here.
The Story of the Woman Behind Botticelli's Venus Painting
This article answers the age-old question: Who is the woman in Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus?
Now That's Ventriloquism Like I've Never Seen Before...
This ventriloquist has found a new and creative way to make us laugh and gasp.
Mary Poppins by André Rieu is Pure Delight!
André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra perform the famous Mary Poppins song, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Watch a video of the performance.
Let Vivaldi's Music Breathe Renaissance Beauty Over You
Vivaldi is one of the biggest names in all of musical history, and now you can hear why with this collection of 24 of his finest compositions.
André Rieu Plays Rigoletto, Delivers Us to Musical Heaven
André Rieu once again gives classic songs the true honor and beauty they deserve.
Enjoy a Classic Beethoven Piece in 360 Degrees!
Enjoy looking at the different musicians as they create gorgeous music, so you enjoy with both ears and eyes!
This Cover of "Mary, Did You Know?" Is Truly Beautiful
Pentatonix, a talented acapella group, are known for making brilliant covers. Their rendition of the classic "Mary, Did You Know?" is hauntingly beautiful.
This Serbian Dance is Poetry in Motion and a Lot of Fun!
This Serbian folk dance is so full of life, fun and great tradition. It's a joy to watch it unfold.
What Are the Hardest Ballet Moves to Perform?
Watch as the dancers of the Washington Ballet demonstrate the moves hardest to perform, and explain to us why that is.
WATCH: This Dancing Family of 12 Is So Adorably Talented
This exciting dance and music performance is unique, because it's entirely the product of one very large and talented American family. They blew me away!
Iris Scott Uses Her Fingers to Create Incredible Paintings
Iris Scott is a modern impressionist who uses all of her 10 fingers to paint. Her artwork, as you're about to see, is absolutely wonderful!
Greek Mythology: Six Mind Blowing, Ancient Tales...
From inspiring heroes to truly tyrannical villains, these great stories from Greek Mythology will reverberate with you for years to come, from the music of Orpheus to the defiance of Prometheus
Exploring 10 of the Most Famous Renaissance Paintings
The Renaissance period had some of the greatest artists in history. Here are ten of the most famous paintings from this period.
Leonardo da Vinci: Profile of a True Renaissance Man
We're about to uncover the real Leonardo da Vinci in this deep dive into the life and personality of this famous genius.
With These Piano Concertos You'll Be in Musical Paradise!
With the magnificence of the orchestra and the intimacy of a piano, these 24 classic piano concertos simply have it all!
André Rieu Orchestrates an Incredible Duet!
What an extraordinary performance, as André Rieu orchestrates a song from La Traviata.
Steve Hewlett: Fancy Ventriloquist!
On the semi final stage of Britain's got talent the audience got a great surprise with Steve Hewlett's terrific ventriloquism performance!
This Vertical Performance Is a Dance Unlike Any Other...
This sensual and terrific dance is not only skillful but makes use of a pole in a way we'd never thought to see in a couple dance!
Feeling Nostalgic? These Billy Joel Hits are Just for You
A playlist of 16 of Billy Joel's biggest hits
12 of the Best Lesser-Known Tales from the Arabian Nights
In this article, we explore some of the obscure stories from Arabian Nights that have been overlooked in popular culture.
This Artist takes Generic Photos & Spices them with Doodles
When generic photos meet a creative illustrator, everything is possible...
Witness This Incredible Musical Performance by True Masters
Dutch orchestra leader Guido Dieteren joins forces here with powerhouse singer Wendy Kokkelkoren to bring you a rendition of "You Raise Me Up" the likes of which you've never heard before.
When Waltz and Skating Combine Ever So Sweetly
André Rieu once again brings to life a beautiful classical music performance, this time pertaining to ice skating.
Stunning! These Pencil Drawings Look Like Photographs
Emanuele Dascanio is a true master of his craft, creating incredibly realistic graphite pencil and charcoal portraits.
This Quintet Sings Old Sea Medleys So Beautifully...
Watch as they perform 5 medleys: Wellerman, Drunken Sailor, Cape Cod Girls, and Santiana.
Astonishing! Animals Through the Eyes of Human Creativity
This collection of breathtaking artworks will capture your attention like no other, as it's all about our best friends forever - animals.
I Bet That You've Never Seen Cars Quite Like These...
Each year thousands of people gather at the Burning Man festival to gasp at some of the craziest-looking cars. Take a look.
This Artist Uses an Unusual Tool to Create Magical Images...
Ralvin Dizon uses an unconventional medium to create his art.
This Six-Legged Show is Both Hilarious and Adorable!
This adorable performance shows that even dogs have a sense of showmanship.
As He Plays the Violin, My Heart Skips a Beat...
This beautiful performance is one you won't soon forget.
Amazing! This Chinese Duet Can Dance Like No Other
Gao Lin and Liu Xin leave the judges speechless with their amazing dance act on Asia's Got Talent.
Now This is One Magic Trick You HAVE to See. Wow!
Watch this terrific and magical performance by world-renowned magician and illusonist, Dani Lary!
How Did He Do It? This Magician Leaves the Judges Baffled
Adam Wilber is bringing the fun back to magic, in this creative performance on Penn & Teller's: Fool Us.
Dancing on One Leg, This Boy is Incredible!
Watch as this boy performs his one-legged dance routine.
30 Works of Art by Vincent van Gogh You May Not Have Seen
Van Gogh is an artist most well know for the severing of his ear and his painting Starry Night. Here are a few other treasures he created.
Amazing! Who Knew Spilled Coffee Could Create Great Art?
Amazing! This Italian artist uses spilled coffee to create stunning pieces of art. Check out some of her work here!
This Performance Shows Amazing Coordination & Precision!
The most beautiful nutcracker dance I've ever seen, the precision alone is outstanding.
This Orchestral Masterpiece Will Bring Tears to Your Eyes
Watch Plácido Domingo's incredible version of 'Silent Night' that will bring tears to your eyes!