I know I’m not alone in being completely charmed by all of the pretty snow globes that have popped up all over Pinterest the past couple of holiday seasons. I mean, is there anything as sweet and nostalgic as snow globes? I kind of think not. So this year I decided to try my hand at making my own snow globes and called on my girl Alice to join me in the fun!
How to Make Homemade Snow Globes
I’ve shared a walk through of each step here, but scroll below for the printable DIY instructions card to make your crafting even easier!
First up, make sure your jars are cleaned and dried thoroughly. Using your sandpaper, scuff up the underside of the lid and then attach your chosen figurines using a bit of epoxy. (You can find mini Christmas trees, plastic deer and other little characters at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.) Epoxy is going to be your best defense against water over time, but it can be a bit thick and stinky so be sure to use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Let the epoxy set completely and then fill your jar just short of full with distilled water. (You can get distilled water anywhere that you buy bottled water.)
Next up, add the tiniest drop of glycerin to the water. If you add too much it’s going to make the water kind of thick and chunky so depending on the size of your jar, you’re likely not going to want more than one drop. (But don’t skip this step because the glycerin helps suspend the glitter in the water giving it that snowy effect.)
Add your glitter to the jar, using more or less depending on how snowy you’d like your snow globe to appear. For best results, I found using tinsel glitter (which has larger glitter particles) worked best and gave the best snow-like look.
And that’s about it! Insert your figurine and screw the lid on firmly and give it a good shake! I absolutely love how these turned out.
For a bit of extra fun, you could paint or decorate the lid of the jar. Mine was white so I kind of liked the simple look, but you could spray paint the lids first or gussy it up with washi tape. These are perfect to give as gifts or to spend an afternoon crafting with the kiddos. Trust me, kids of all ages love snow globes!
[Art direction + styling by Cyd Converse | Photos by Alice G. Patterson.]
How to Make Homemade Snow Globes
Follow this easy DIY tutorial to make charming homemade snow globes - a beautiful, DIY twist on a classic holiday tradition.
Materials
- Clean jars with lids
- Distilled water
- Glycerin (available at most pharmacies)
- Plastic or ceramic animals, trees and/or figurines
- Tinsel glitter (mine is from Michaels)
- Epoxy
- Sand paper
Instructions
1. Make sure your jars are cleaned and dried thoroughly.
2. Using your sandpaper, scuff up the underside of the lid and then attach your chosen figurines using a bit of epoxy. (You can find mini Christmas trees, plastic deer and other little characters at places like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.) Epoxy is going to be your best defense against water over time, but it can be a bit thick and stinky so be sure to use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Let the epoxy set completely and then fill your jar just short of full with distilled water. (You can get distilled water anywhere that you buy bottled water.)
4. Add the tiniest drop of glycerin to the water. If you add too much it’s going to make the water kind of thick and chunky so depending on the size of your jar, you’re likely not going to want more than one drop.
5. Add your glitter to the jar, using more or less depending on how snowy you’d like your snow globe to appear. For best results, I found using tinsel glitter (which has larger glitter particles) worked best and gave the best snow-like look.
6. Insert your figurine and screw the lid on firmly and give it a good shake!
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Tony
Saturday 11th of July 2020
This looks like a great project! What did you use to make the tree snowy?
LilB
Tuesday 10th of December 2019
Question: why do you not fill the bottle a bit more full so there is less space left at the top when you upend it? Does being fuller hamper the distribution of the glitter?
Cyd Converse
Tuesday 10th of December 2019
Hi there! I just found it worked better that way. I played with a lot of different methods, and I just found it was best for shaking and glittering!
Sarah
Monday 9th of December 2019
Help! I made these and the jars leak! What do I do?
Cyd Converse
Tuesday 10th of December 2019
Hey Sarah! What kind of jar did you use? I've never had any issue with leaking. A small line of epoxy around the top of the jar before you close it up should help! I'd let it dry fully before flipping it back up. I hope this helps!
Roxann Regenstreif
Thursday 14th of November 2019
What is tinsel glitter? I couldn’t find it at Michaels. Is it chunky glitter? Do you have a picture of the bottle?
Cyd Converse
Friday 15th of November 2019
Hi Roxann! I made these a couple years ago so I don't have photos of the bottle, but yes it's a chunkier glitter. I found it in the kids crafting section at Michaels vs like where the Martha Stewart glitters are, if that makes sense. I hope that helps!
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Tuesday 18th of June 2019
[…] The Sweetest Occasion shows us how to bring a bit of the Christmas spirit into our gift-giving. Check out how to make these gorgeous snow globes after the jump! […]