For years, a custom snow globe order meant one thing: a long wait on a container from overseas. It’s still the right choice for orders of 500 or more globes, but it’s no longer the only choice. I now make snow globes right here in the US, in small batches, with a much faster turnaround than we’d usually work with.
Why I built the US path
Ultimately I built our US production path because my clients kept asking the same two questions: Can I get fewer than 500? and Can I get them before Christmas?
For a long time the honest answer was no, especially moving into the second half of any year. Overseas production is built for scale – beautiful economics if you need 500 or more globes, but it can’t turn around a run of 150 in a couple of months. So I built a second path: a small-batch American team for the brands who need fewer globes, sooner.
Meet the team
Our US globes are made by a small team I’ve built from the ground up: John, our 3D designer, Kent and Nykko – our 3D printing partner – and Jim, Deb and Tim who assemble and ship all our US made pieces. John lives in Florida, Kent and Nykko are based in central Chicago, and Jim, Deb and Tim are based in Evanston, just outside Chicago.
How We Make Magic
Mass production of snow globes is almost entirely China-based – not just on cost, but because of the extraordinary handcraft infrastructure built there. Snow globes have always been hand-sculpted, moulded and painted piece by piece, and while we’ve swapped clay for 3D design, every China-made globe is still hand-painted and hand-assembled. There’s no automating it – only slow, meticulous, piece-by-piece care.
Our US line replaces the hand-painting with 3D colour printing: faster, richly detailed, and identical across every single piece. Assembly is still done by hand as it’s a genuinely complex process involving treatments that keep the water clear and bubble-free. Two years of tiny refinements now go into every globe we deliver.
Which path is yours?
Our US production path isn’t automatically “better.” It’s better for some jobs. If you need a big run at the sharpest price, with lots of fun features like LED lights, custom shaped bases, built in music boxes and more, then overseas still wins. If you need fewer globes, sooner, America is your path.
Not sure which side you’re on? This is the quickest way to tell:
If your idea is a small, special run — a launch gift, a limited edition, a Christmas order that can’t wait on a ship — the American path was built for you.
Producing at scale instead? I make those too – here’s the full rundown on our China Production Path
Let's make yours.
Tell me a little about your idea — I'll point you to the right path and get you personalised info.
Yes Queen — Start My Story
