No, I’m not Dave Barry, so “Glitter For Snow Globes” is not a band name.
It is instead a question about snow globes (or snow domes), as I am attempting to resurrect an snow globe of my mom’s which over the years (decades) had its interior liquid dissipate. I looked around the web for instructions on snow globes such as liquid media (water and glycerin) and so on - as usual I plan to over-engineer the base seal with waterproof adhesive and hot glue to prevent leakage.
The sites I viewed stated use ‘glitter’ - just glitter, no qualifiers. OK, so I went to our glorious local Michaels, and brought glitter (shiny gold and silver, like the original glitter which was lost when I cleaned and touched up the globe’s interior). It came in a Tic-Tac-mint-like clear plastic container. As a test, I put some glitter in a water mixture in a glass vessel - the glitter promptly floated on the surface, NOT a good look for a snow globe. Stirring it just made it angry, and it remained floating on the surface. Obviously, I am missing something, and this glitter (only brand at Michaels) seems likely not to be suitable for snow globes.
The question is - what type of glitter IS suitable for snow globes - what brand?
*One site did mention metal glitter - I didn’t recall seeing that at Michaels, and unless you know exactly what you want, the staff at the local Michaels won’t really know either.
Also, I keep mentioning Michaels because while we did have A.C. Moore once, it converted itself into outlet stores around here; we also had Pearl Paint until they decided to self-immolate for no particularly good reason. Many US chains such as Hobby Lobby just sort of wash up on the Jersey Shore and proceed no further (shrug).
This sounds like a question for a friend of mine who buys glitter in industrial quantities. Pure will and vigorous housekeeping are all that stand between her and a house that twinkles from end to end. Before even thinking of asking her about the specific gravity of the stuff, I have seen some notes on the web that clothing-grade white holographic glitter should work well. I think that can be interpreted as “good quality stuff that’s meant to last longer than the average kid’s craft project” but I’ve been wrong before.
People and companies are still making snow globes, so there has to be a source for glitter that’s denser than water out there somewhere.
I collect them, and clever friends have made them for me. Their glitter tends to float as well.
My suggestion is to buy several of the cheapest domes you can and either decant them slowly, leaving the glitter to be obtained on opening or transfer the glitter in the water medium directly to your dome [seems easier - wide-bodied plastic syringe should scoop glitter up easily].
There may be a surface tension issue, which should be resolved if you put a drop of detergent or soap in the liquid, but you then could get lemon-scented bubbles, which you Do Not Want.
Good luck - tell us what happens. The readers of Cafe Society will wait, holding our collective breath …
I found this site searching for information on repairing snow globes and the various problems with finding the correct “snow” powder which is supposed to float in the clear liquid of the snow globe. The forum users were unable to find a correct fix for the problem where the fake snow floats on the surface and does not swirl in the liquid. Various suggestions were offered to add Glycerin or clear Glycol and even alcohol to create the desired effect. I was engaged in the difficult project of repairing the inner parts of a very old plastic domed snow globe where the scenic elements had come unglued from excessive shaking or impact. The repair required evacuation of the water and the original snow materials. After success with the scenic repairs, the task was finding the right “swirling” snow product. Several store-bought snow powder and flakes were tried. They all coagulated at the top of the glass test vessel and would not “swirl” in the fluid. All manner of Glycerin, Glycol and Alcohol additives were tried in various mixes, all without any effect. I went to the extremes of creating my own “Snow” material using white Styrene plastic and a Dremel tool with a cutting disc to grind tiny shards of plastic. They looked just right and I was sure would do the trick. They too just lumped together at the surface and refused to act like “snow.”
I was finally able to achieve success. The fluid additive which allowed the particles to move freely was a small drop of Dawn dishwashing fluid, which seems to have changed the specific gravity of the fluid mix or the particles and allowed them to be held in a nice “swirling suspension” for about 45 seconds after which time they appropriately sank to the bottom. I am delighted to share this with the forum. I hope this helps.