Assembly Line

How snow globes are made

Snow globes are often sealed underwater, with the figure plugged in while the dome sits submerged in a tank.

stations
9
things upstream
81
raw sources
26
steps from the ground
10

The short version

A snow globe is filled and closed underwater. In the usual method described by one patent, an empty dome is turned upside down over a tank of liquid, flakes go in, and it sinks and fills. A plug carrying the figure is pushed home while still submerged, so no air gets trapped. Figures are cast, painted and waterproofed first.

  1. Make the dome

    Snow globes were traditionally glass, with heavy lead glass domes in the early days. Plastic became available in the 1950s, and modern domes are made in either.

    Goes in
    Glass

  2. Cast the figure

    A clay master, once approved, is used to make a mold for polyresin figures and bases. Polyresin is also a common choice for the base of promotional globes, and older makers often used porcelain or ceramic.

    Goes in
    PlasticPorcelain

  3. Set and grind

    One Chinese factory sets the casting in a vacuum chamber and soaks it in alkaline water. Workers then trim and grind figure and base to smooth away the seams.

  4. Paint and waterproof

    Once painted, the figure is sprayed with a waterproof oil so the color cannot wear off in the liquid. It dries, and the underside of the base is smoothed again so the globe will sit level.

    Goes in
    Paint

  5. Fit the gasket

    A plastic gasket goes on under the figure, which is cleaned and returned to the vacuum chamber one last time.

    Goes in
    PlasticAdhesive

  6. Sink and fill

    The dome is held upside down over a large tank and the flakes go in. It then sinks and fills with liquid, often a blend with glycerin so the snow falls slowly. The mix can be adjusted for the climate where a globe is headed.

    Goes in
    WaterGlycerinPlastic

  7. Plug it underwater

    Still submerged, the plug carrying the figure is pressed into the opening so no bubbles are caught. A convex plug wall locks into a concave skirt for a watertight seal. One patent adds a flexible diaphragm so that the plug can move as the liquid expands.

  8. Stand it upright

    Filled globes come out of the tank and turn right side up, resting on the skirt or set into a decorative base. Any globe with bubbles gets caught at this point.

  9. Wrap in foam

    Each globe is wrapped in styrofoam and placed in its box for shipping.

End of the lineSnow globe

Worth repeating

  • Water-filled paperweights holding a man with an umbrella were already on show at the 1878 Paris Exposition.
  • The Vienna family company makes about 200,000 snow globes a year.

Back to the ground

Follow every input upstream and snow globe starts as these 26 raw sources.

WaterSilica sandLimestoneNatural gasKaolinQuartzFeldsparRock saltTronaCrude oilIron oreSulfurTitanium oreOil palm fruitSoybeansRapeseedClayAirCornCoalTin oreSugarcaneSugar beetDolomiteManganese oreTimber

Everything it is made of See it on the map

Open the whole family tree

Keep walking

Black tea 7 stations · 1 raw source Molasses 5 stations · 2 raw sources Remote control 7 stations · 27 raw sources Bath towel 7 stations · 14 raw sources Shoelace 5 stations · 12 raw sources Fish sticks 6 stations · 20 raw sources

Surprise meConnect this to something else

Sources

Cite this page: "How snow globes are made." Assembly Line, 2026-11-03. https://assemblyline.org/make/snow-globe

Spot a mistake on this page?