Snow Globe in a Jar

Snowglobes, although beautiful, seem to lose some of their lustre in adulthood, but when you’re a kid they seem magical – just a quick shake and you’re on your way to a winter wonderland! But did you know you can make one of these charming little trinkets at home with your children? It’s easier than you think and all you need to get started is an old food jar!

Materials:

  • A old food jar – almost any jar will do, but we recommend baby food, olive or, if you want something bigger, jam jars
  • Some plastic figurines – these could be old plastic toys, model railroad figures, or even LEGO pieces
  • Some synthetic evergreen tips, or plastic evergreen trees (again, LEGO comes in handy here)
  • White or silver glitter
  • A festive coloured oil-based enamel paint
  • A small square of sanding paper
  • Waterproof epoxy or plumber’s putty
  • Water
  • Glycerine (you can pick this up from the baking section in most supermarkets or in a pharmacy)

There are no sharp tools involved in this craft so if your child is old enough they could even enjoy making a snowglobe of their own while you make yours.

Steps:

  1. If your jar is not already thoroughly washed and dried, do this first and then make sure you have all your other craft materials prepared
  2. Next, open your jar and paint the lid red, green or any other seasonal colour with the oil based enamel paint
  3. Sand the inside of your lid until it is rough – this will make it easier for the putty or epoxy to adhere to the surface
  4. If you are using epoxy, adhere the base of your figurine or evergreen tip to the inside of the lid. If you’d rather use the putty, stick this firmly to the inside of the lid and then press your figurine into it. Leave to dry
  5. While this is happening, fill your jar to the top with water and add your glue and add a very small amount of glycerine – this will keep the glitter from falling too quickly
  6. Once your figure is firmly attached to the lid, apply a glue around the thread rim of the jar and screw the lid on tightly. Water will overflow at this point, so have a dish towel ready
  7. Leave the last of the glue to dry and then…
  8. SHAKE!
And there you have it – your very own snowglobe that ensures that you and your children can enjoy the magic of Christmas all year round!