Soft Flake Snow™

A white flake for winter scenery

Snow decides whether a scene reads as freezing or merely as dusty. This loose material is made so that it can be dosed from the thinnest dusting to a deep drift, and so that it keeps its white under the harsh light of a display case.

What is in the tub

The package is a clear container with a shaker lid in two settings: a fine sieve for a dusting and an open opening for pouring a larger amount out quickly. The contents come to about 945 cubic centimeters, that is a supply for several fairly large winter scenes. The container can be closed again, so the remainder will survive even a longer pause between projects.

Where it is useful

The manufacturer aims it at layouts, dioramas, military models, school models and the bases under collectors' houses. Besides classic snow, the same material can suggest foam on churned water, that is rapids or a wave breaking on a shore.

How to work with it

• wet the area first with a binder or heavily thinned glue and only then scatter
• let the dusting fall through the sieve from a greater height so that the flakes land unevenly
• build a drift up in layers and let each one dry through, or it will settle
• let the base show through on roofs and branches, as an unbroken white blanket looks unnatural
• round the edges of the drifts off, as a sharp edge gives away that it was laid on in one go

The material does not stick by itself. A binder, varnish or thin dispersion glue has to be bought separately, and count on a damp base darkening the color of the flakes temporarily.