How to Make a Snowglobe

Snowglobes are portable, entertaining and, best of all, versatile, They're a wonderful craft to make with children, either as gifts or just for fun. You don't have to limit yourself to winter themes. You can make snowglobes with your child's favorite character. Whether the little one likes dolls, trains or birds, as long as you can find a plastic figurine and an empty baby food jar, you can make it into a snowglobe.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baby food jar (or another small jar with a lid)
• Mineral/baby oil
• Cold, distilled water
• Aquarium sealant or silicone caulk
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. fake snow or heavy glitter
• Florist's clay
• Waterproof figurines

1. Choose a small jar for your snowglobe. Though baby food jars work well, if you want to make a larger globe, you can use a larger jar as long as the cover fits tightly. Clean the jar and its lid thoroughly and remove any labels.

2. Take the jar's lid with you when you choose a figurine for the inside of the globe. Any type of waterproof figurine or set of figurines will work. You may even want to choose a figurine and some background scenery to make the globe a little more interesting. Just be sure to check to make sure they all fit inside the jar lid.

3. Attach your figurines to the jar lid with florist's clay. If the figurines are small, they may not sit up high enough to be seen over the edge of the jar. In that case, you'll need to either build up the bottom with the clay or attach a small platform to the bottom of the jar lid. A smaller lid or a small cake ornament platform serves this purpose well.

4. Invert the jar on top of the lid to make sure you're able to see the scenery and that it's placed correctly.

5. Measure out your snow as the florist's clay is drying. There are a number of things that can be used as snow. Some people use crushed eggshells, but large glitter or fake snow crystals work just as well and are easier to handle. Set aside approximately 1/2 to 1 tsp. of your snow mixture.

6. Find the right mixture of water and mineral oil. Adding mineral (or baby) oil to the water in the snowglobe allows the snow to remain suspended in the liquid before it falls back to the bottom. Fill your baby food jar nearly to the top with cold distilled water (warm tap water tends to be cloudy). Add a few drops of mineral oil and the "snow."

7. Swirl the mixture in the jar to see whether the "snow" stays suspended or merely drops to the bottom of the jar. Adjust the amount of mineral oil until it moves the way you want it to. If you don't like the result, merely dump out the mixture and begin again.

8. Line the inside threads of the jar lid with silicone sealant. Aquarium sealant is the best choice, but clear caulk is a close second. Quickly but carefully place the figurine in the jar and screw the lid on. Leave the jar lid-side up.

9. Use the aquarium sealant to seal the rim of the jar and let the snowglobe dry overnight.

10. Decorate the lid (which is now the bottom of the globe) as desired. You can paint it, attach ribbon or theme-related fabric with hot glue or merely leave it as is.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to choose 3-D figurines since the snowglobe will be admired from all sides. You'll also want to make sure the material will stand up to years of immersion. For this reason, it's best to avoid metal items as they may rust.
• Investigate the different types of glitter or plastic confetti your local craft store carries. Many stores have theme-related confetti, which can be used in place of "snow." For instance, if you want your snowglobe to look like an underwater scene, you may want to have foil fish floating in the dome.

[elaina0124]

on 11/2/2009 great article! I will be making one soon, using your article.

[elaina0124]

on 11/2/2009 great article, I plan to try to make one soon.

[artbabe]

on 4/4/2009 for a more finished look, try the vintage-style snow globe kits at snowdomes.com