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Make an Easy DIY Snow Globe
Make a classic, real, round DIY snow globe. Not a tree in a mason jar because a tree in a mason jar isn't a snow globe, it's a snow jar. Bang out these Christmas craft snow globes in about 15 minutes with a few basic materials.
Skip right to the printable tutorial.
Why make your own snow globe? Because you can put anything you want in it. If you want the bare bum from a Ken doll in your snow globe you can do it. Although you shouldn't, because bare bums aren't very much in the spirit of Christmas. Usually.
Pinterest is bursting with mason jar snow globes. I think I was one of the first when I created these mason jar snow globes, in 2012. But to me - that's not a snow globe. It's a snow jar.
These homemade snow globes use a clear Christmas ornament and a cork. They're simple enough that a kid can make them.
So here we go, you and I are going to make simple Snow Globes. Right here. Right now.
Quick Instructions:
- Pull the neck collar from the Christmas ball.
- Fill with distilled water and 2 drops of liquid glycerin.
- Add sparkles!
- Push tree "trunk" wire into the centre of a cork and shove it into the globe.
- Glue the hell out of it.
The possibilities of what you put in your snow globe are as never-ending as the last children's dance recital you went to.
But there are a few restrictions. It needs to fit into the neck of the Christmas ball and it needs to be something made of - plastic. Yes. I said it. Plastic. Or rubber.
That's because if you use an item that has some metal on it, it will rust and turn the water murky. If the item is bendy, you can put something quite big in the snow globe, like the simple trees I chose.
My simple trees happen to have wire, but I'm crossing my fingers that it's steel wire that's been treated to prevent rust. I'm a risk taker like that. I also run on slippery floors in socks. Risk TAKER.
(update) - the metal wire made the globes cloudy by the next year
How to Make a Glitter Snow Globe
You can get most of the supplies from your local craft store like Michaels, Hobby Lobby or a dollar store. Glycerin can be found at any pharmacy (usually in the upset stomach aisle).
I like the look of them all being the same with bottlebrush trees but you do you. Fill them with whatever you like and whatever will fit.
Materials
Clear Plastic Christmas Ball (choose ones with wide necks so you can fit a figurine or tree in it)
Distilled Water (optional)
Glycerine or Glycerol (optional)
Sparkles (glitter), gold foil, or small plastic artificial snow flakes
Mini bottle brush tree or other miniatures
E 6000 glue (this is the go TO glue for crafters in the know)
Small bowl
Detailed Tutorial
- Pull the plastic top off of the plastic ball and set it in a round bowl so it doesn't go rolling around. You now have a globe! Fill the globe with distilled water until it's ¾ full.
- Pour in some sparkles. A medium sized globe with need around ¼ teaspoon of sparkles. Add 2 drops of glycerin. NO more. Glycerin helps the glitter fall slowly.
- Top the globe up with water until it comes just below where the neck meets the ball.
- Cut your wine bottle corks in half with a serrated knife
- Pull the bottle brush tree out of its base if it has one. Remove some of the lower "branches" of the tree so you have an inch of bare trunk. Stick the trunk into the centre of a piece of cork. Make sure it's perfectly straight.
Shoving the trunk into the cork will be easier if you pre-punch a hole in the cork with a toothpick. Also holding the trunk with needle-nose pliers to shove it down into the hole makes the job easier.
- Push the tree into the globe forcing down any errant branches with a toothpick or something. Force the cork into the neck and push it down until it *almost* touches the water level.
- Keeping the globe in the bowl that's stabilizing it, seal the cork top, sides and where it touches the neck with E6000. Let your snow globes cure overnight undisturbed.
- The next morning turn the globes upside down and give them a good shake or slight squeeze to make sure they're watertight. If they aren't (one of mine wasn't) turn it cork side up again and let it dry then apply more E6000 and let it cure again.
If your globes have all cured and there are no leaks you're done! I have to admit I like them without any base at all, just like this. But I know most people will probably want some sort of base for them. That's where you can get creative because the base you choose will make a big difference in how the snow globes look.
You can go modern, traditional, weird - whatever you want.
I keep mine on a buffet, but obviously a mantel or grouping them on a dining table for a centerpiece are other ways you can go.
IDEAS FOR BASES
You don't *have* to use a base but it'll make the globe look more finished and keep it sturdy. If your plan is to gift one of these, adding a base is the way to go. You can either keep them separate or glue the globe to the base using a hot glue gun.
- salt cellars
- candle holders
- vases
- zinc mason jar lids
- mason jars
- tea cups
Below I'm using 2 short antique silver candleholders, 2 gold metal tubes (that originally had candles inside), and 1 tall, wood, mid century modern tea light holder.
A contemporary take on a little winter wonderland scene.
Easy DIY Snow Globes.
YOU are going to make a snow globe. You are crafty!
Let's do this.
Materials
- Clear Plastic Christmas balls
- Distilled water
- Glycerin
- White sparkles (fine or superfine)
- Wine corks
- E6000 glue
- Tiny bottle brush tree
- Bowl for stabilizing plastic ball while you work on it
Instructions
- Pull the plastic top off of the plastic ball and set it in a round bowl so it doesn't go rolling around. You now have a globe! Fill the globe with distilled water until it's ¾ full.
- Pour in some sparkles. A medium sized globe with need around ¼ teaspoon of sparkles. Add 2 drops of glycerin. NO more. Top the globe up with water until it comes just below where the neck meets the ball.
- Cut your wine bottle corks in half with a serrated knife
- Pull the bottle brush tree out of its base if it has one. Remove some of the lower "branches" of the tree so you have an inch of bare trunk. Stick the trunk into the centre of a piece of cork. Make sure it's perfectly straight.
- Push the tree into the globe forcing down any errant branches with a toothpick or something. Force the cork into the neck and push it down until it *almost* touches the water level.
- Keeping the globe in the bowl that's stabilizing it, seal the cork top, sides and where it touches the neck with E6000. Let it cure overnight.
Notes
If your cork is too small for the neck of your globe, steam the cork! Putting a cork in a steamer basket for several minutes will make it permanently bigger. It's a great trick I used for my own snow globes.
Don't use too much sparkle. Excessive sparkles will just clump together in a blob.
Glycerin is optional. It helps slow down the rate the sparkles fall at, but it isn't imperative. If you don't have it, don't worry about it.
Distilled water should remain clear for longer, but it also isn't mandatory. You can just use tap water.
If your trees are too big, don't fret. You can make a really big fake tree much smaller by just using the top of it.
To make sticking your tree into the cork easier, pre-punch a hole in the cork's centre with a toothpick. Hold the stem of the tree with pliers to make shoving it into the cork easier.
TIP
You can light your globe up by sticking a strand of copper wire lights into the base that you're putting the globe in. Just know you'll have a strand of wire hanging down from it and a little battery pack you'll need to tuck away or hide.
REMEMBER to check for leaking every once in a while and when you store them away after the season, store them with the corks facing up so there's no chance of springing a leak while they're tucked away in the basement.
These will NOT last for years. Inevitably the metal, sparkles or fake snow ends up turning the inside of the ball cloudy. But they're fun and easy enough that you can redo them every year. Just keep reusing the same plastic balls and corks, and replace what you have inside.
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Hi,
I recently purchased the same wired trees. Do you know by now if it rusted?
You'll let us know how these are doing when you pull them out later in the year?
Love this. Any idea how well it will hold up over time? Is it a one season deal, will the water evaporate, turn cloudy? Forgive me for being devil's advocate, but if I'd like to give one as a gift, it would be nice to know in advance. Will still make if for myself. Thanks.
Hi Gloria, this is the first time I've made these this particular way, so I'm not sure how well they will hold up. The best way to keep them from going cloudy is to use things inside that won't rust or release particles. ~ karen!
I hope its ok to give my answer to this. I made some miniture snow globes 6 years ago they contained polymer clay santas andc shrink plastic words all mod podged , and all snow globes are still full and clear. I used half water half glycerine
The trees I used rusted- so sad!!
Beautifully displayed!
These look great! Much easier than I remember, and I love the idea of the lights in the base. I might finally make some!
Sheesh, you’re some kinda wicked talented! I LOVE these and can’t wait to give’m a try. Read through the comments and have no idea where you linked lights or why people think you’re submersing the lights in water 🤔. Will read through again, before I get started, to be sure I didn’t miss anything.
Read through the comments again and see that the comments were from your original post!
Absolute genius! I'm doing this!
So glad you republished this. You are COMPLETELY right about those snow jar things. I love yours! I hope the whole "revamp your content to make it search-engine-optimized" project is going better than expected (which is to say, faster--and not driving you to drink too much and stare into the fire gloomily each night contemplating giving up altogether).
I'm doing all those things Lois, lol. K, well not the drinking because I'm not good at it. But the staring gloomily etc. It's O.K. I'm seeing results so that's good motivation and I LOVE being able to make these older posts better and more useful for people. ~ karen!
So, it's a few years on now - how did they hold up? Can you post a new pic?
Be sure the lights are water proof. Also a few drops of rubbing alcohol will make sure the water doesn’t become dank over time.
I used Silk* brand yogurt cups as my base, and they worked wonderfully. They’ve got the perfect taper if you flip them upside down and paint them (and I had some snazzy vegan yogurtsicles afterward)
Good idea with the yogurt cups! ~ karen!
To get rid of air bubbles when we used to create flower jars at the school agricultural days as kids, we used to submerge the entire jar in water (sometimes we used food colouring in it as well...not sure how this would work with the glycerine in the there (although if it was only at the end that you were submerging, it might be okay.
How we did it was fill the jar with water, put the flowers/decorations in the lid, then submerge the lot in a sink of water while we sealed it all up - obviously you might still have issues with the sealing, although there is a waterproof silicon sealer that dries clear here that is used on boats that might work (I think it's a Selley's one)...just a thought if the air bubbles annoy you too much!
So cool! The lights in water freak me out though. But I even get nervous when my Christmas lights get covered in snow lol. I'd pop a fake tealight or two under it, there are little LED push lights that should fit.
Absolutely gorgeous! Such a clever girl you are! :)
Awesome! Really beautiful! I shared on Pinterest, you are soooo talented! :)
Thanks Marna. I'm not so very talented. I just try a LOT of stuff. ;) ~ karen!
Wow, years ago I did this with my Girl Scouts but I must say I didn't think things through as well as you did. We used empty baby food jars, fake snow and plain water. I wanted and prayed only for them to last two weeks and then toss. I succeeded but barely. And the jars were so small I had to do a field trip with the girls to a doll house miniatures shop; an experience I never want to try again. But the girls all had fun and the moms all very graciously oohed and aahed over the cheesy little creations. I want your globes. They look real and magical and gold sparkles are as close as I want to get to snow. I'm making these for all my grandkids if I live that long. I have nine with one on the way.
When I saw the first picture..I thought they were frozen balls of ice...then I realized that they are sitting in your living room...very clever!
WOW - Great gift. I think gluing a clear frame with picture of grandkids/pets inside would be really cool. Wonder how to get a face picture of one of my little angels onto the droppy eyed plastic one, would work. Even think your diorama's with old truck would look wonderful. I just love your blog!
Hi, I'm from New Zealand and found your webpage, I love your sense of humour and practicalness. Thank you.
This is a great idea! I already have a couple of the little light strings. Now I just have to find some large clear ornaments. Walmart, here I come! Thanks!