Snow Globe Tutorial
Supplies:
*Wide-mouth canning jar with lid and screw-on ring
*Winter themed ornament or figurine (make sure it will fit in your jar!)
*Glitter
*Waterproof glue (like Gorilla Glue)
*Ribbon no wider than the lid ring of your jar
*Optional: white texture paint by Plaid
1. Glue your ornament or figurine to the inside of the canning jar lid. Forget that you are seeing my hot glue gun in the picture. Hot glue won't hold very long in water--use a strong, waterproof glue like Gorilla Glue (follow directions and drying time on the label)
2. OPTIONAL: If you want a snowy scene, you can cover the inside of the jar with some of Folk Art's white Texture Paint. Just dab it on with a foam brush. Let it dry at least 24 hours. (This is a time consuming step that is not really necessary. Once the lid is on the jar, you really don't notice it anyway.)
3. Fill your glass jar with water, leaving about 1/2" not filled. Pour a small amount (about 1/4 tsp.) of glitter into water. I used Stampin' Up!'s Dazzling Diamonds glitter for a snow effect.
4. Once your glue (and texture paint if you used it) is dry, put the lid on the jar and screw the ring tightly on. Use hot glue or Gorilla Glue to glue around the edges of the ring to keep kids from opening it up and spilling glitter water all over your carpet. You can also glue a piece of ribbon around the ring (so it looks less homemade!). Shake and enjoy!
You can make these for non-winter related figures as well. For example, we made one using a plastic dinosaur and red glitter (to represent lava raining down at the end of the dinosaur era). Get creative (so you don't lose your mind while the kids are ot of school)!
Great Project. Bookmarked for next year when my cute grandson is old enough to realise he doesnt EAT the glitter !
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
LOVE this idea!
ReplyDeleteI find that adding some clear Karo Syrup to the water helps the glitter not to clump. About 1/4 or a little less of total water volume. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThey are great, aren't they!? I made them with my class two weeks ago (8-10 yrs old), and they loved it! You can also add a teaspoon or two of glycerine to make the 'snow' fall better.
ReplyDeleteSuper cute idea! Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteThis looks super fun! So...do you have to do anything to make the object waterproof? Or are most things waterproof already? Or do the objects gradually crumble or have paint fall off etc, and it just doesn't matter much because it's a craft for kids? (Like, is this something you can put in the Christmas box and pull out next year, or is it something you just enjoy this year?) Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe are totally going to make this now!!
ReplyDeletewhat a neat idea! I think I'll have to try it out for a baby shower gift!
ReplyDeleteEmily--I'll be honest, we just made these for the first time this year, so I have no idea how they'll hold up! I used resin ornaments, but I'm sure they are painted, so I guess we'll see. You could always skip gluing it closed and then empty the glitter water out after Christmas and refill it the next year!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea!!
ReplyDeleteI watched Martha Stewart on tv last week doing these and there is a tad more to doing it where rust won't happen, mold, germs etc to keep them great looking. I am putting these on my list for next year. bev
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/snow-globes
Almost any jar works for this project: Baby-food, pimiento, and olive jars are good choices. Look for plastic or ceramic figurines (metal ones are prone to rust) at flea markets and hobby or model-railroad shops. Synthetic evergreen tips are available at many floral-supply stores.
If the jar lids are not in seasonal colors already, paint them with oil-based enamel paint. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. With clear-drying epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid, and let the epoxy dry.
Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water; add a pinch of glitter and a dash of glycerin (available at drugstores) to keep the glitter from falling too quickly. Don't add too much, or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's flipped. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine. Turn the jar over and back again -- and let it snow.
This is awesome. My daughter bookmarked a snowglobe "kit" in a catalog that she wanted as a gift. Of course, it was mega-bucks. Now I know how she can make one without the cost of the kit and the shipping. Thanks!
ReplyDelete