Manufacturing Custom Snow Globes & Water Globes with Happy Worker

Design & Creative Decisions
Designing Collectible Custom Snow Globes

Manufacturing Custom Snow Globes & Water Globes with Happy Worker

Just The Basics

Design & Creative Decisions

Manufacturing Process

On this page, you’ll find more information about the design decisions that we will make together early on in the project. Because we design and fabricate orders of snow globes just for our clients, there are few limitations to how the snow globe will look and what message it will send. Together with our clients we’ll look at each design decision one-by-one to strategically build the best snow globe for our clients’ needs. Put your strategic thinking hat on!  

 

 

 

Snow Globes Concepts
From Concept to Creation

First, the right concept is developed and chosen. In some cases clients come to Happy Worker with finished descriptions of their snow globe concept & idea - and even drawings or designs - and we focus simply on converting the concept into the best collectible snow globes. Other times our clients have chosen the snow globe medium but haven’t yet developed the snow globe’s concept, design, or messaging. In this case our creative teams will collaborate to co-conceive, develop and illustrate the snow globe designs, working from rough concepts to finished designs. We’ve collected a few <Snow Globe Strategies> to help you brainstorm as well.

Snow Globe Design Decisions
Our Happy Toy Experts Will Guide & Recommend

Once the concept or idea behind the snow globe is determined it’s time to decide which type of snow globe will best fit the project. Often occurring in sync with the concept development or sometimes beforehand, a number of creative snow globe decisions are made including size, branding, shaping and packaging type. Happy Worker will recommend the best features to suit the snow globe’s purpose, audience and business goals. Once all the decisions are made and the project is given the “green light” a Happy Worker illustrator will create final snow globe “control artwork”, or blueprint designs that will be used for the snow globe’s prototyping.

Sizing up Custom Stress Toys

Happy Worker will recommend the best snow globe size to suit the snow globe’s purpose, design goals, and business goals. The most popular custom snow globe sizes are:

• Small snow globes - Measuring 3 inches (8cm) tall including their bases, with the globe itself about 2.5 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter.

• Medium snow globes - Roughly 6 inches (15 cm) tall including their bases, with the globe measuring 3.5 inches (9 cm) in diameter.

• Jumbo sized snow globes - Even larger globes are less common for corporate use and desk-top display, as they’re heavy and hard to shake. These large globes are most useful as specialized, static display pieces.

Remember to consider the recipients of the snow globe and be considerate of their space. Because snow globes are for display and will take up a footprint on surfaces, bigger is not always better. 

Custom Globe Shapes

Traditional snow globes features spherical or ball-shaped glass globes. With larger snow globe orders (2,500 or more snow globes) we can create highly distinctive, custom shaped glass or plastic globes. As an alternative to spherical globes, think of snow globes that are pyramids, cubes, heads, or almost any unique 3D shape. Note that different globe shapes will affect and influence how the “snow” materials swirl inside the globe. 

Musical and Moving Snow Globes

With larger snow globe orders (2,500 or more snow globes) we can create snow globes that play music while the scene inside the globe slowly rotates. For 2,500 globes Happy Worker will recommend several tunes from a library of existing melodies. For slightly larger orders (5,000 or more snow globes) original melodies can be created.

Snow Globe Materials

Happy Worker specializes in creating high end collectible snow globes made of premium materials. We use the following materials:

• Domes and globes – Most often made of quality glass. For larger projects (2,500 or more snow globes) we can also use high grade plastics if it is important to use a plastic design aesthetic or for reduced weight.

• Snow globe base & objects inside the globe - Commonly made of resin or ceramic, and occasionally injection plastic for larger orders.

• “Snow” floating inside the snow globe - Made from small pieces of white plastic or foil. Sometimes sparkles are inserted in addition to or as a substitute for “snow”. With snow globe orders of 2,500 or more we can create custom floating shapes. 

•  “Liquid air” inside the snow globe - Mixture of water and glycerin to create a more viscous “air” so that floating snowflakes can gently swirl around.

Logos & Branding

Logos, slogans, and other graphics can be sculpted, engraved, painted or applied on the surface or underside of the base or on the scene inside of the globe. Depending on the surface texture of those positions, branding and logos can be applied almost anywhere on the surface of the snow globe.

Custom Snow Globe Packaging

Snow globes are packaged first inside of Styrofoam blocks that provide cushioned protection for the glass snow globe. The Styrofoam block containing the snow globe is then packaged inside of a snug card gift box. The gift boxes provide a canvas for branding, graphics, copy, and product information while protecting the snow globe.

• For snow globes that will be shipped to recipients
  We’ll recommend the best additional protective packaging for the chosen shipping service. For these snow globes Happy Worker recommends adding additional instructions for safely handling & unpacking the snow globes.

• For snow globes that will be distributed at events and conventions to out-of-town visitors
  Happy Worker recommends adding a sticker to packaging that reminds travelers to pack their snow globes into stowed luggage instead of carry-on luggage, as liquid-filled globes are not permitted inside carry-on luggage and can unhappily be confiscated at customs.

 

Next Steps

 

Our Work

Nuance Custom Snow Globe

More original custom toys & gifts >>

 

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Water globes
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Snow-shakers

Need a few ideas to get you started on your custom snow globe project? View Happy Worker’s suggestions for Snow Globe Design Strategies.