Things You'll Need:
- 2 to 3 gallon buckets
- Flexible plastic sheeting
- Funnels
- Cake pans
- Muffin tins
- Measuring spoons
- Plywood
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Step 1
Buy a form large enough to create showy sand castles, but small enough to carry the heavy mix of sand and water you need to make firm blocks. An ideal size for beginner to intermediate sand sculptors holds 2 to 3 gallons.
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Step 2
Choose high quality plastic that won't deteriorate when exposed to sun, salt and surf. Professionals use sand sculpting tools constructed from ABS plastic, which is the same rigid plastic used in plumbing applications.
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Step 3
Acquire several heavy-duty plastic mats that you can roll into cylinders to create large turrets. The plastic sheets must be flexible enough to roll, but rigid enough to withstand the tamping necessary for sand packing.
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Step 4
Substitute common household items for conventional sand castle forms when necessary. Funnels, cake pans, muffin tins and measuring spoons can help you create fine details for the uppermost levels of your sand castle.
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Step 5
Use open-ended sand castle forms, similar to cookie cutters, to create shapes on the sides of your structure. You must use a sand spatula to move the shapes you create with these molds.
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Step 6
Consider building custom forms out of wood for the largest, competition-worthy sand castles. Forms built from plywood in a hexagonal or octagonal shape can withstand the pressure exerted by tons of wet sand.
