Welcome to the ever-expanding collection of "how to build a better sand sculpture" articles.

We think the world would be a better place if more people were having fun in the sand. Seeing a completed work by a polished professional may make you think there is a certain amount of magic involved... how do they make the sand stand like that?

Well here is your invitation to peek behind the wizard's curtain. All we ask in return is that you get out there and move some sand and make sure you have fun while you are at it.

First - a few words about "what makes sand stand." The secret to throwing sand up in the air and convincing it to stay there long enough to be carved into something spectacular is compaction. There are two ways to compact sand: the handstacking method enourages water and gravity to do the hard work for you; if you prefer to use brute force, then you will want to go with using forms. Serious sand sculptors often use a combination of the two methods. Read on...

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