How Does a Snow Globe Work?
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Make It Snow!
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The best part about making a snow globe 'work' is that it usually only takes a gentle shake, winding a key or pushing a switch to activate one. Years ago, snow globes only worked by someone turning one upside down and setting it back on a tabletop, then watching the minute bits of pretend snow swirl around inside the globe before settling. Perhaps your grandmother had one that had been crafted by an expert glassblower who made the fragile bubble working over an open flame.
Machines and People
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Modern snow globes are made by machines, hundreds of them at a time. The globes are released from the machinery and set aside to cool. Once they're cool enough to handle, the neck edges are trimmed. The base scene, which is really much smaller than it looks through the globe (the curve of the globe magnifies the scene inside) is selected and then glued to the base. Some base scenes are still hand-carved or handmade, but most of these, too, are produced by machines. If the snow globe is also a music box, the base will have a music box motor installed in it and a hole drilled for the stem of the winding key to pass through. A musical snow globe can be key-wound or electronic, so it, too, takes a person to make it work.
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Handle with Care
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The trimmed neck of the glass globe next has a thin line of strong glue applied to it, and then the globe is set in place over the scene, fitting into a small channel carved into the base. Once the glue dries, the globe is turned upside down and filled with a special liquid, leaving just a tiny air bubble that shouldn't be visible once the globe is upright again. This is all usually done by machine, too. That special liquid is necessary because ordinary water, even distilled water, would eventually become murky, or the scene inside the globe would be shrouded by algae. The liquid also contains a chemical to keep the "snow" from getting stuck to the floor of the globe and unable to be dispersed when shaken.
Work That's Fun
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A gentle shake or just tipping it usually is enough to start the snowstorm inside the globe. Some snow globes even have a tiny blower inside that blows air through the globe so the "blizzard" lasts until you turn the switch to stop it.
Keeping It Working
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Snow globes are very fragile, so keep in mind they won't work if curious little fingers try to pry the globe apart from the base or wind the music box key too tightly. If you break a snow globe, be extremely careful picking up the pieces, and don't let pets or babies run across the floor until you've wiped up the liquid, swept and vacuumed the floor.
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