There’s a few ways to make snow bases for your miniatures and I’ve tried them all. Of all the methods I’ve tried, this one is the most convincing that I’ve done. So, grab a cup of hot chocolate and get ready to play with snow.
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Miniature Snow Basing Materials
Here’s what you’ll need.
First up is the snow flock itself. I picked up this Woodland Scenics Snow Flake online for pretty cheap. As you can see, it’s way more than I’ll ever need.
The only other thing you need for snow bases is the glue, well also white paint (see below).
I use Mod Podge, which is a PVA glue that doubles as a sealer. In the U.S. you can find it at most craft stores for pretty cheap. I use the one that has a matte finish to it.
In this application the sealing finish really doesn’t matter, but you could modify the steps and use a satin or gloss finish to get a more wet look. You’ll see below.
You can use any PVA glue you like. I just like Mod Podge because I can get a big container, and it has the sealing component to it for other projects I use it for. PVA glue is something that every hobbyist should have on hand.
The cup is what I mix the glue and snow flock in for the snow bases.
Note the bag of snow flock. I transferred snow from the huge container into the bag. The last step I do is to add snow flock on top of the wet mixture to get a fluffy look. I find it’s far easier to dip the base into a container, like the bag, than it is to pour the snow onto the base and have to pour the excess back into the container after.
This is what I do for all my basing materials I use, pour it into a bag and dip the model in.
How to Make Snow Bases
Time needed: 5 minutes
Let’s start putting together the ingredients and make a snow base!
- Mixing Glue and Paint
First, I pour some glue into the cup for the snow basing.
I like to add a few drops of white paint into the glue as well. The reason for that is it gives the snow a vibrant white look once it’s all mixed in. Without the white paint the glue will dry mostly transparent and it gives the snow a more wet look. Nothing wrong with that, and it looks good, but it’s not what I’m after with this snow base.
- Mix in the Flock
I then add in some snow flock and mix it all together thoroughly.
The consistency you’re after depends what you’re looking to do with it. A thicker consistency is great for building up large snow piles and creating snow drifts. I go thinner though so I can use a brush to spread it out in spots easier. A thinner mixture makes it easier to create more dusted areas too where it isn’t piled up so much.
- Apply the Snow to the Base
I then use a brush and glob the snow onto it and apply it to the base. I try to be pretty random with it. For what I’m doing I don’t want to cover the entire base and I want the ground to show through in spots. I just like the mix of textures and layering you get this way but you can certainly do the entire base as well.
You can see the wetness of the glue in these shots. If you aren’t after a fluffy snow look then you could stop here, and this is where the finish of the Mod Podge would matter. I don’t have any finished shots of what this would look like, but from experience I can say it would dry very much like you see it but without the wet look to it; at least with the matte version of Mod Podge I’m using. - Make the Snow Fluffy!
I like the fluffy snow look, so I proceed from here to dip the base into the bag of snow flock I showed earlier. The snow sticks to the top surface and makes it all fluffy.
You can immediately see the difference; it’s very fluffy, I leave it alone like that for a handful of hours to dry and setup. Once it’s dry I blow off the excess and use a large brush to brush the stray flakes off the model and base rim.
If you wanted larger snow piles then just repeat these previous steps. Do a first layer, let it dry, then add another layer on top and just keep building it up. - Clean Off Loose Snow
Just blow off the loose snow and you’re done.
A Step Beyond
There’s another step I used on this model to complete the snowy effect. On larger bases like this, I like to add in some ice to fill in some of that dead space. I have a tutorial on creating ice effects you can check out. Also, on some models you can add icicles to the base for some more visual interest.
Meanwhile, here’s the shots of the model completely finished. You can also see the snow better than in the shots above.
Some Others
Here’s some other miniatures I’ve done snow bases for that have cleaner pictures showing the technique better.
Conclusion
That’s it for snow bases! It’s a really simple technique that’s quick to do, but with great results.
Again, there are other techniques for snow, but this is the one I’ve found that looks the best, is easy to do, and is cheap to do as well.
Whatcha think, convincing snow base?
Miniature Basing Tutorials
More ways to create unique and interesting basing for your miniatures.
I love painting miniatures and teaching people how to paint. I also really love blogging, so I've combined those two passions here.
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Personally, I’ve had my fill of snow for a while ;)
Nice tutorial though! I like the way the bright, white snow offsets the dark color palette you tend toward. It adds a nice contrast to your army.
I hear ya and thanks.
You can’t ever have enough ways to make snow, because there are tons of different types! Combine them all to form SUPER MEGA SNOW!
True enough. Early snow season compared to middle season, or even end of season, is all different.