On the Beach: 10 Steps for Creating Great Sandcastles

Making creative and unique sand castles is one of the best parts of spending a day at the beach. No matter how young or old you may be, the act of building your own structure, sometimes with a moat and sea shell adornments, is great fun.

What you need
To build the best sand castles, you need only a few basic tools and supplies, and a little instruction. You may have some of the tools right in your own home, but some you will need to find at a local store. The basic supplies you need to get started include:

1) Of course, first you need sand. A beach works best, but a sand box will do in a pinch. Finer sand is generally better, but all sand is good for castles
2) Lots of water. If you are at the beach, there should be an ample supply very near-by. If you are at home, have a hose ready.

The Formula
According to the BBC-TV program Coast, the ideal ratio for sand sculpting is eight parts dry sand to one part water, though this may depend on the type of sand. I never take time to measure, I just add sand until I like the texture. If it gets too dry, I add some water.

Tools you need:
1) A good-sized plastic bucket
2) A long-handled shovel
3) A small scooping tool for shaping details (a teaspoon, a melon-baller, etc.)
4) Carving tools like plastic knives, putty knives, Play-Doh shaping tools-- even a pencil
5) Shaped sand molds (while these are optional, they make the finished castle look more real)
6) Embellishments found on the beach or purchased to complete the look (I use sea shells, bits of coral, fossil sharks teeth and rocks found on the beach)

Now for some instruction:
1) The first and most obvious step is: pour the water into the sand. To make it easier to handle, mold and hold it's shape, the sand should be pretty wet to start out. Obviously, if you are building near the sea, you should have an ample supply of water available '" take advantage of it.

2) Pack the sand tightly into your mold. The more your sand is packed in, the better it will hold its shape. Sand's natural tendency is to spread, and the more dry it is, the more it will do this. The best way to prevent drying is to tamp the sand very firmly into the bucket or mold, creating a "brick" of compacted sand.

3) Dig down into the sand a bit where you want to create your castle, then use the shaped, compacted sand to form a foundation for your structure. Add more layers of compacted sand above. Make it roughly the shape you want your finished castle to be. At this point, just keep adding wet sand to get a general shape and don't worry about details.

4) Using your hands and the tools, start shaping the sand into the structure you want to build. I like large, square castles, but yours can be any shape you like. Use your hands and your shaping tools to remove excess sand and pat the remaining sand into your castle shape. If you are using a shaped mold, add the molded sand where it looks best.

5) Add details like windows and a door with the small carving tools, then stick shells and other decorations on to add interest. Press them firmly into the castle walls so they don't fall off.

6) You may wish to add staircases and pathways to your castle. If so, carve them into the castle, then add some wet sand to extend them away from the castle structure. To form a staircase, first build up the sand to create a ramp extending away from the castle, then carve out the steps. For roadways, carve a path into the foundation sand or build up a path by adding handfuls of wet sand.

7) I like to make 2 towers at the front of the castle to hold the drawbridge. The protective outer walls will be attached to either side of the towers. To make a tower, use handfuls of wet sand and stack then on top of each other until they reach the height you want. Shape the completed stack by using your hands to smooth the sides into a rough cylindrical shape. Add a little pyramid of sand to the top of the tower to create a roof. Finally, add details like windows, rock walls and a door, using your carving tools.

Repeat this on the other side for the matching tower.

8) Build a protective wall for your castle going from one tower, around the castle and ending at the other tower. Use both hands to scoop up some wet sand, then press your hands together to squeeze out excess water and form a bottom section of wall. Stack sand clumps on top of each other until they reach the height you like. Continue the process all around the castle. "Cement" the connections into the towers with wet sand.

9) Dig a moat around the castle to protect it from invaders like waves, kids and dogs.

10) Step back and admire your work!

Have fun creating your own unique sand castle. Each is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, and should be commemorated by taking a lot of photos. This also gives you some warm visual memories to enjoy on those snowy winter days back home.

If you love seeing professional sand sculptures, there are a lot of beautiful photos here: http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/links.html.

References:
http://www.sandyfeet.com/http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/tips/index.htmlhttp://www.sandcastlecentral.com/tips/index.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_art_and_play