I love snow globes. I have a modest collection that I display at my home all year round. I love the concept of a snow globe. It reminds me of a diorama that we had to make in elementary school which is just a small scale scene in a shoebox. Well, snow globes are small scale scenes too, a world unto themselves, still and peaceful, frozen in time. They can be complex or simple. Some have music built in and some don't. You can buy one in just about any theme to complement a different collection you have, or like me, I buy them because that IS my collection. I only buy ones that are very beautiful, or have some meaning to me. I have a few religious ones, some to commemorate events in my life, and a few that I find especially pretty, or peaceful.

Making your own snow globe is not only fun it lets you get creative in making a very personal gift. I have made one of my own snow globes and put our family photo in it with the words Merry Christmas framing our picture. It is one of my favorite because I made it myself and it obviously represents something I care about. If you have someone in your life who likes snow globes or other knickknacks but its hard to find the perfect thing for them, try making one. They will really appreciate the effort and thought behind your personal touch. Or just give it to them unopened so they can get creative making something they will treasure.

Speaking of gifts, why not encourage those collectors and get them a new addition for their collection. There are snow globes for sports teams, movie buffs, Disney collectors, princesses, carousels, Christmas themes, angels, bride and groom, and even skulls and dragons. in my opinion, the best snow globes are made with ceramic or wood bases. They have real glass for the globe part. The main event or character should be inside the glass with only supporting ideas surrounding it outside the glass. I like all the action to be contained, this makes it less likely to break off important parts of the "story" by regular handling and cleaning. Plus the idea here is to stay true to what it really is; its a snow globe, not a fancy knickknack that by the way has a little snow globe in it. I only make exceptions to my own rules if the theme or idea is extremely well executed, is of very high quality, and makes sense. Like the Pinocchio themed one above with the whale. I like it because the scale of the whale to them makes sense and it presents the idea of them being swallowed whole very well. I also really like ones with music that compliments the scene in them, but I don't play them often so its not a must have. I usually pay about $25.00 and up for mine, but I don't like to spend more than $50.00. You can get very nice ones for less, but unless its a great sale, it's liable to look cheap too.

I hope you find snow globes as captivating and beautiful as I do; or at least have a new appreciation for how versatile they really are as a collectible. I love to walk by and shake them all up and just watch the little storm inside bring the scene to life. I bet you could buy a snow globe for everyone on your gift list this year. If you did you may even be done early!