How To Make A Snow Globe In A Mason Jar

We get white Christmases sometimes here in Chicago, but even if you don’t get snow this year, you can make your own snowy scene with a simple DIY snow globe! It’s such an easy project, and it’s a great one to get kids involved in; my daughter loved picking out miniatures to go inside the snow globe, and she loves shaking it and watching the “snow” settle. Today I’m going to show you how to make a snow globe in a mason jar in just a few minutes!

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If you’re worried about the liquid in this DIY snow globe, you can always make a snowy scene on a mason jar that’s lit by candles instead!

Homemade Snow Globe In A Mason Jar

  • Time spent doing stuff: 5 minutes
  • Time spent waiting around: 5 minutes
  • Total project time: 10 minutes

Equipment

  • fast drying waterproof adhesive (I like E6000)
  • measuring spoons

Materials

NOTE: It doesn’t matter what size mason jar you use for this project; just make sure it’s big enough to fit your miniature figurines inside. When you fill the jar with water, for every cup of water you will need 2-3 teaspoons of glycerine, so if you have a really big jar, make sure you have enough glycerine.

How to make a Christmas snow globe

Instructions

Start by cleaning your mason jar with soap and water to remove any dirt or oils. Grab the flat part of the lid and dry it off really well with a paper towel.

Using waterproof glue, attach the miniature figurines to the underside of the lid. Make sure you attach them to the underside so that they will go into the mason jar when the lid is replaced!

How to make a Christmas snow globe

Set the lid and figurines aside so the glue can dry.

Fill your mason jar with water.

How to make a Christmas snow globe

Add 2-3 teaspoons of glycerine per cup of water in your mason jar. The exact amount doesn’t matter too much, so feel free to estimate if you want; you want enough that it helps the glitter “float” a little bit, but not so much that the glitter just clumps up in a mound at the bottom of the jar.

How to make a Christmas snow globe

Add a little bit of glitter to the jar and stir it all up! A little glitter goes a long way; you don’t need more than a shake or two or your jar will be too “snowy” to see the scene inside.

How to make a Christmas snow globe

Once the glue attaching your figurines to the lid is dry, add a little more glue around the seal of the lid, then flip the lid upside down and place it on the jar, putting the figurines into the water.

How to make a Christmas snow globe

Wiggle the lid a little bit to really get the glue spread out around the whole seal, then replace the metal ring portion of the lid. Screw the ring down tight!

Wait a few more minutes for the glue to really set so that your snow globe is watertight, then you can flip your mason jar upside down and you have your very own snow globe!

How to make a Christmas snow globe

If you want to make it snow, gently turn the jar right side up again, then flip it back over and the glitter will float around, like it’s snowing!

How to make a Christmas snow globe

AJ absolutely LOVES watching it “snow” inside the jar. I showed her how to gently flip it over to make it snow, and now she can do it all by herself (which is the best part when you’re two years old!)

How to make a Christmas snow globe
How to make a Christmas snow globe

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homemade snow globe in a mason jar with reindeer, light post, and presents miniature figurines

How To Make A Snow Globe In A Mason Jar

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Learn how to make a snow globe in a mason jar with just water, glycerine, and glitter! It takes less than five minutes and is a great kids activity for the holidays.
Active Time 5 minutes
Drying Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield 1 homemade snow globe
Cost $12

Equipment

  • fast-drying waterproof adhesive (like E6000)
  • measuring spoons

Materials

  • 16 oz mason jar
  • miniature figurines
  • glitter
  • 1 cups water
  • 2-3 tsp glycerine

Instructions
 

  • Clean your mason jar with soap and water; dry the flat part of the lid especially well with a paper towel.
    mason jar, glycerine, glitters, and miniature figurines—supplies for making a homemade snow globe
  • Using waterproof glue, attach the miniature figurines to the underside of the lid. Make sure you attach them to the underside so that they will go into the mason jar when the lid is replaced! Set the lid and figurines aside so the glue can dry.
    hands using e6000 waterproof glue to attach miniatures to lid of mason jar
  • Fill your mason jar with water, leaving about an inch of room at the top.
    filling mason jar with water for homemade snow globe
  • Add 2-3 teaspoons of glycerine per cup of water in your mason jar.
    adding 1 tablespoon of glycerine to the mason jar to make a homemade snow globe
  • Add a small amount of glitter to the jar and stir. The glitter should "float" in the water; if it just floats on top of the water, add another ½ teaspoon of glycerine and stir again.
    shake glitter into mason jar to make homemade snow globe
  • Once the glue attaching your figurines to the lid is dry, flip the lid upside down and place it on the jar, putting the figurines into the water. Check to see if there's enough water in the jar to be mostly full once the figurines are in there. If not, add a little more water.
  • Glue the lid onto the jar by adding glue around the seal on the underside of the lid, then put it back on the jar so the figurines are inside. Wiggle the lid to spread the glue, then replace the metal ring portion of the lid and screw it down tight. (You can also put glue on the threads of the jar if you want to be extra cautious.)
    hands using e6000 waterproof glue to glue around seal on lid of mason jar
  • Wait a few more minutes for the glue to really set so that your snow globe is watertight, then you can flip your mason jar upside down and you have your very own homemade snow globe in a mason jar!
    homemade snow globe in a mason jar with glitter floating in glycerine to look like snow

Notes

It doesn’t matter what size mason jar you use for this project; just make sure it’s big enough to fit your miniature figurines inside. The important piece is how much glycerine to add to your snow globe, and that depends on how much water is inside. You will need 2-3 teaspoons of glycerine for every cup of water in your jar. Remember, the figurines take up some room, so there will be a little less water than the actual capacity of the jar.
Start by adding the lower amount of glycerine and see if the glitter “floats” in the water. If it just floats on top of the water without any swirling around under the surface of the water, add a little more glycerine. If the glitter clumps up in a mound at the bottom of the jar, you have too much glycerine.

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Jessi Wohlwend

I believe that anyone can do crafts and DIY projects, regardless of skill or experience. I love sharing simple craft ideas, step by step DIY project tutorials, cleaning hacks, and other tips and tricks all with one goal in mind: giving you the tools you need to “do it yourself”, complete fun projects, and make awesome things!

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