Sunday, November 18, 2012

DIY Snow Globes


Looking for a fun way to spend a lazy afternoon in with the kids? Looking for an easy Christmas project?Make snow globes!

You'll need:

Epoxy glue
Glass jars
Glitter
Glycerin (or baby oil)
Distilled water
Plastic or ceramic figurines
Sandpaper

Optional:
Glasses


You can find glass jars at your local craft store or recycle old glass food jars. I used an old spaghetti sauce jar and an old jam jar. If you go the recycle route, you'll have to first clean and remove the labels from the jars.

To remove the labels, put the jars in a pot of water and dishing soap and bring to a boil.




Once the water boils, remove it from the heat and wait until the water cools enough for you to handle the jar. At that point, use a stiff bristle brush to scrub away the label, glue, and the "best by date" stamp.

Using sandpaper, scratch the inside of your jar's lid and glue your figurines there. Make sure you purchase the quick drying epoxy glue or it may take hours for the glue to dry. I got mine from AC Moore, and using the 55% off coupon I found in the paper, I got it for just under $2.50.

In order to raise up my snowman and elf, I cut the top off of Archer's plastic  Danimals  smoothie container. I glued  glitter on it and now it looks like a snow covered mound.


Alternatively, you can also glue the figurines to the bottom of your jar for a different look.

Hold the figurines in place for a minute or two to make sure it doesn't move while the glue dries.  Set bottle aside until the glue fully dries.
After 5 minutes have passed, turn the figurines upside to make sure the glue has dried.

I didn't do this, but I also suggest gently tapping the figurines. I  thought my figurines were secure, but as you'll see in  subsequent  photos, I lost my snowman!!
Fill the jar with distilled water. If you put your figurines on the lid, remember to leave enough room for them when you screw the top back on.

You can either buy distilled water from the grocery store or make your own at home. Just boil  water and let it come back down to room temperature.
Add as much glitter as you'd like and about a teaspoon of the glycerin for a small jar, more for a larger one. The glycerin will slow the fall of the glitter and make it look like it's really snowing. If you don't have glycerin lying around, you can also use baby oil. Seal the lid with the epoxy. You can also add glitter to the sides of the lid for a more dramatic effect.

As you can see, my snowman didn't make it into the jar!
You can leave your globe as is or add a base. I glued my snow globe to an old wine glass.


This project might be better suited for older children, but my 3 year did have fun choosing the figurines at the store and dumping the glitter in the jar. And of course, he had a great time shaking the snow globe and watching the "snow" fall once the project was complete. 

The great thing about this project is that you don't have to limit this to just Christmas. If you're going to a baby shower, glue a plastic baby to the lid and add plastic baby shower themed confetti to the jar. If it's for Halloween, use a spooky figurine and black glitter. If you're passionate about animals, make an animal themed one. The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!!

2 comments:

Pase121 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pase121 said...

I heard you guys had fun!