Fake Snow and Glitter, White Fabric Base and Snow Spray

Christmas Village Displays

The base for many a Christmas village is more often than not nothing more than a crisp white bedsheet or linen. More experienced crafters usually favour lengths of white polyester fabric, which comes in different thicknesses and should be fire-resistant.

White polyester fabric is a better choice than linen, since it already has the appearance of snow. If it is too thin, you may see some of your staging beneath it, whereas if it is too thick, it is difficult to work with. Therefore, a combination of white sheeting and a thinner polyester fabric may be preferable, being easier to position and shape.

This type of polyester can be bought from most fabric stores or garden centres selling Christmas village accessories. It can also be purchased online from websites such as eBay - try searching for 'Fake Snow Fabric', 'Christmas Grotto Decoration' or 'Nativity Polyester'.

Adding Your Fake Snow

When you have created your Christmas village and you are completely sure that everything has been positioned in the correct place, including any lights and electricals, it is time for the final finishing touch - a liberal sprinkling of fake snow. Most often this is simply plastic or paper that has been chopped into tiny pieces. Some extravagant people use handfuls of this snow, in preference of any sheeting or other white coverings.

Look at your village from a distance and decide what parts would benefit from your manmade snow flurry. Sprinkle the flakes from high above the layout if you want a 'dusting' effect, or directly above roofs if you are aiming for more of a pile or snow drift effect.

If you find that the flakes are falling off the sloping roofs of the houses, then you can add a little PVA glue or spray glue to secure the fake snow in place. Some people use sifted flour or icing sugar to create their desired snowfall, and although this can be quite effective in its appearance, it can also be quite messy and more difficult to clean up afterwards. For areas of snow drifts, cotton wool can prove to be the perfect solution when carefully positioned and this is also a useful medium for covering up battery packs, battery wires and tree bases.

Using Snow Spray

When it comes to snow spray, you will soon find that the quality really does vary greatly, so it is worth trying out several different makes before you choose your favourite.

More often than not, if you are buying your spray from a garden centre or model shop at Christmas time, they may well have a winter scene created where the snow spray has actually been used on the trees and buildings, so you can see first-hand how it appears.

If not, then it may well be prudent to ask if you can try it out first, before buying. When using snow spray, it is important that the can is not cold and it will come out of the nozzle much more evenly when at room temperature (over 20°C / 68°F). It is important to always read the label and follow the instructions carefully.

Adding Glitter

To introduce a real frosty feeling and a certain magical Santa element, add a gentle sprinkling of silver glitter to your Christmas village and position any spotlights to ensure that your layout really does sparkle at night.


Photo showing a beautifully landscaped Christmas Village display, complete with figurines, snowy trees, and a scattering of fake snow and glitter:



This photo shows a number of different types of fake snow used by model makers to create an authentic winter's scene for any miniature village:



Image showing two dark-green model spruce trees, one of which has been frosted with a good quality snow spray. This has the added effect of clearly defining the sweeping branches:



Image of the same model spruce tree, displayed in a landscaped setting: