30 Creative Snowmen: Funny Ideas, Snow Animals and Tips for Building

A carrot nose, two coal eyes and a scarf are where most snowmen begin. Then someone gives theirs a phone, turns it upside down or builds a whole crowd, and a snowy afternoon becomes an outdoor comedy show. Here are 30 of the most creative snowmen and snow sculptures shared online, from Studio Ghibli characters to a cat meeting its snowy double.

Snowmen are older than you might think. The earliest known picture of one is a marginal drawing in a Book of Hours from 1380, now in The Hague, found by author Bob Eckstein while researching his History of the Snowman. In 1494, Piero de’ Medici commissioned no less an artist than Michelangelo to build one, and in 1511 the people of Brussels filled their streets with more than 100 satirical snow figures, an early form of political commentary.

Classic snowmen with a twist

1. The snowman on the phone. One bent twig arm and a small dark rectangle turn a classic top-hatted snowman into someone with a very important call to finish.

2. The snow crowd. Dozens of small snow people with dark eyes fill a whole field. The joke grows as your eye discovers just how many there are.

3. Glowing snow creatures. Simple mounds with glow sticks inside become mysterious creatures after dark, with blue and white eyes staring out of the snow.

4. The welcoming committee. A cast of small snow people gathers around a larger rounded shape, each with its own height and twig arms, as if everyone has arrived with something to say.

5. Snow Totoro. Pointed ears, whiskers and a broad belly make the forest spirit from the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro instantly recognisable, with a smaller figure tucked into the belly as a second surprise.

Funny snowmen with a story

6. The surprised snowman. A leaning pose and a companion figure make an ordinary snowman in a top hat look suddenly startled.

7. The snowman who wants to go to Florida. A sun hat, bright accessories and a destination sign tell the whole story of a snowman dreaming of somewhere warmer.

8. The snow family attack. Open mouths and raised twig arms turn a family of snow figures into a chaotic little horror scene. Expression beats elaborate carving.

9. Snow No-Face. A tall, simple mound and a carefully placed mask face recreate No-Face from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, standing quietly beside a doorway.

10. The buried sibling. A child holds a pair of boots sticking out of a snow figure, a visual trick that takes a moment to untangle.

11. Snow dogs. Long noses and upright seated bodies give this pair of snow sculptures the elegant look of long-nosed hounds.

Snowmen in the right setting

12. The visitor at the window. Placed outside the glass, a snowman suddenly looks like a guest waiting patiently to be invited in.

13. The sculpted snowman. This figure treats snow like clay: smooth human contours and a dark cap replace the usual stack of balls.

14. The upside-down snowman. Flip the familiar arrangement, face down near the ground, and the joke is immediate. Online it became known as the “Australian snowman”.

15. Snowman and snow cat. The cat’s raised tail and outstretched paw make this pairing charming. A companion character turns a simple snowman into a story.

16. The cool snowman. Blue hair, sunglasses and headphones create a snowman with attitude.

17. The astonished snowman. A wide-open mouth beside a yellow mailbox makes this figure look permanently amazed by the post.

Expressive faces and giant figures

18. The snow police. Matching police hats and ties turn two snow people into a team, shared by West Midlands Police in England.

19. The giant on the hill. The buildings below show the scale of this huge, smiling snowman on a hillside.

20. The grumpy face. Heavy twig eyebrows, crooked teeth and uneven eyes create a snow character full of complaints.

21. Tubbs the snow cat. A rounded body and tiny facial marks give this reclining snow cat a relaxed, well-fed look.

22. The tall snowman. A long dark scarf makes the height of this towering figure easy to read.

23. The stacked creatures. A small animal perched on a larger round snow creature adds a lovely surprise.

Snow animals and pop-culture characters

24. Snow Yoda. Pointed ears and a brown wrap are all it takes to turn snow into the Jedi Master from Star Wars.

25. The snow gang. Rounded characters of different sizes, each with slightly different dark eyes, make a lively group.

26. The cyclist. A real bicycle gives this snow figure its sporty pose.

27. The tall snow cat. A tall body and pointed ears make a wonderfully odd silhouette.

28. The snowman on the slide. Reclining on a playground slide with a scarf, this snowman looks ready for a ride.

29. The cat meets its double. A real white cat inspects a large snow sculpture of a cat: the perfect double take.

30. Lunch for two. Two snowmen face each other across an outdoor table, as if waiting for their order.

How to build a better snowman

The secret is the snow. It packs best when it is close to its melting point, moist and heavy, which is why a mild afternoon right after a big snowfall is ideal. Powdery snow in hard frost simply falls apart, and packing snow that refreezes turns into a crust that is useless for building.

• Test a handful first. If it holds together when squeezed, start rolling a broad base. If it stays loose, build a low animal or wait for milder weather.
• Choose the joke first. The best snowmen above can be described in a few words: a snowman on the phone, a cat meeting its double, two friends at lunch. Decide on that idea, then add only the details that tell it.
• Faces make the character. Move the eyes closer, tilt a twig eyebrow or lower the mouth and the same head changes from sleepy to startled.
• Use the setting. A window, a table or a bench completes the story. Keep paths, mailboxes and play equipment clear for others.
• Collect the props. Retrieve hats, buttons and scarves when the thaw comes, and you have a ready kit for the next snowfall.

Snowman styles even vary by country. North Americans usually stack three balls, in Britain two is common, and the Japanese yukidaruma has two sections, possibly because it resembles a daruma doll. The tallest snow figure on record is Olympia, a snowwoman built in Bethel, Maine, in 2008, at 122 feet 1 inch (37.2 metres). She beat Bethel’s own “Angus, King of the Mountain”, a 113-foot snowman from 1999.

Ready for more ambitious ideas? Explore the Bartz brothers’ giant animal snow sculptures, or draw across the snow with Simon Beck’s giant snowshoe patterns. For a reminder of how snow transforms even the desert, see the snow-covered dunes near Aïn Séfra, and for families heading out with small children, read Sloan Henderson’s snowboard story.

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