It’s sometimes hard to find the perfect gift for our friends, especially on a tight budget. Thanks to the world’s ultimate crafter, Martha Stewart, we can gift the magic of the holidays and make snow globes! I don’t know about you, but growing up, my sister and I loved collecting snow globes. There is something about them that is so magical that they can capture a feeling, a memory or just simply put a smile on our faces. Since we are going to be making them personally, it will be assured that anyone on our holiday shopping lists will adore them. Check out this “do it yourself” guide!
Some materials that you’ll need:
- A jar
o Any jar will work for this – just make sure that it is cleaned and clear! Check out your local dollar and thrift stores – that’s where I always find them for $1 or less!
- Plastic or ceramic figurines
o These figures will be used to create the scene inside the snow globe! Try to stay away from metal objects because these will rust over time in the water. You can find fun objects also at local thrift shops, flea markets or hobby shops. Also, tons of floral shops will sell you miniature “evergreen trees” that are popular among winter themed snow globes.
- Oil based enamel paint (optional)
- Sandpaper
- Epoxy
- Distilled water
- Glitter
- Glycerin (sold in drugstores)
Don’t be discouraged by the crazy names of some of those supplies! They are really easy to find in many drugstores and art supply stores. Also, this shopping list will provide enough materials to make a big amount of snow globes so it will take care of many gifts!
So first what you want to do is paint the lids of the jars. This is an optional step but it can be fun to make the lids more festive with red, blue or green coloring and also might aid in covering any logo markings or labels! Then take the sandpaper and sand down the inside of the lid. Stewart says that by roughening the surface, our figurines are more likely to stick on. This is when we use the epoxy – a super strength, clear-drying adhesive! Place the figurines as you prefer them, customize how you would like the snow globe to look like and let the epoxy dry.
While that’s drying, it’ll be a good time to fill your jar with the distilled water! Add as much glitter as you want to create the snowy effect and then add a dash of glycerin. The glycerin will thicken the water and prevent the glitter from falling too fast after being shaken.
Once both of these steps are complete – the figures on the lid and the glittered water in your jar, you can put the two together and ta da! Your customized and beautiful snow globe is complete! Your friends will appreciate the thought that went into this gift and love how it brightens up the room!
If you want a more visual tutorial, check out this colorful and fun YouTube video by MacBarbie07! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1fDtKBL2Ps
Also, here are some fun snow globe ideas we found online!
http://media.homemadesimple.com/en-US/homedecor/PublishingImages/do-it-yourself-snow-globes-ss.jpg
http://wedding-pictures-02.onewed.com/26711/diy-wedding-projects-winter-wedding-snow-globe.png
Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/276346/how-to-make-a-snow-globe/@center/307034/christmas-workshop