A crystal castle is a nice ice sculpture for weddings with a fairytale theme.



*updated 1/19/12

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.



If you have extra ice and the sculpture will be viewed from both front and back, you can add another piece to the back of the sculpture, like in the side view above. Then it becomes less of a facade and more like a completely in-the-round sculpture. Please note that you’ll need a wider base to accommodate all three slabs of ice.



The template above is for your backside piece if you decide to make your sculpture two-sided. However, you probably don’t need a template just for the back because, really, the only difference between it and the front side version is the lack of a door.



If you have any questions about this piece, email me or comment below. If you would like to use this ice sculpture design or any other design on this site, please check the design usage guidelines. The design collection page lists designs on the site.

You might also find photos and info from this entry on the ice carving secrets facebook page and you can comment there as well as below. Thanks!

Tags: weddings, fairytale