Many people wonder what kind of liquid is inside a snow globe. There are several reasons for this:
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The snow globe fell and broke. The liquid is now on the carpet—is it dangerous for children or pets?
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You want to repair a snow globe—what liquid should you use?
Different Approaches to Designing Snow Globes
At the Schneekugelhaus, we recommend the same combination used by Chinese manufacturers. After all, they are very experienced in the production of snow globes.
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Distilled water: Normal tap water would become cloudy over time.
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A few drops of preservative: Also known as water clarifier. This ensures the water remains clear for a long time.
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Surface tension: To prevent the "shake" (snow or glitter) from floating at the top due to surface tension, we recommend using either a drop of dish soap or soaking the glitter/snow in pure alcohol beforehand.
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Ready-made mixtures: As an alternative to clarifier and dish soap, you can use a pre-mixed solution from Snowglobe-for-you. These already contain glitter, snow, or a mix of both and simply need to be topped off with distilled water.
Does Glycerin Belong in a Snow Globe?
At the Schneekugelhaus, we stick to the mixture mentioned above. However, there are other instructions that suggest adding glycerin or liquid glue. Both substances cause the snow to sink more slowly to the bottom.
By the way, there is a YouTube channel that repairs snow globes in English. This is certainly interesting for enthusiastic snow globe collectors... The owner performs various tests with glycerin and liquid glue, where you can see the results very clearly: https://www.youtube.com/@snowgloberescue8887
