Mason jar snow globes

I was asked to do a little demonstration of holiday decorating on a budget at a church activity. I'm not really big on holiday decorating myself so I thought it'd be a good way to get me in the mood. My kids are lucky if I put up a Christmas tree.

So Tara's been helping me look through the interweb to find some cheap ideas. We ran across these antique Mason jar snow globes that Anthropologie was using to display jewelry. They weren't for sale so I don't think you can buy them there.

These are Anthropologie's versions.

Here's the list of materials I used:

(I got them all at Hobby Lobby except the ball jars. Look to your local antique stores or flea market for those)

Mason jar and zinc lid that fits
An ornament
White glitter
Glycerin
Gorilla glue epoxy or some other epoxy
Hot glue or waterproof caulking

Here's step by step instructions:

Clean the mason jars
Use the epoxy glue to attach the ornament to the lid
Fill the clean jar with water and a couple tablespoons of glycerin (it helps the glitter to not stick to the jar or the ornament)
When the epoxy's dry, screw on the lid
Hot glue the lid around the jar to prevent leaking (next time, I think I'll use bathroom caulking so I can wipe off the excess and it'll still seal it well)


It was an fun project and I learned what not to do through trial and error. Here's my list of don'ts:

Don't use hot glue to attach the ornament to the zinc lid (It'll come off when vigorously shaken by a 3 year old for hours. This is when you'll need the epoxy.)
Don't fill the water to the top then add the epoxy.

Don't go answer the door and leave your glitter unattended with an 18 month old lurking.
Don't use those little green trees sold at Hobby lobby. The green dye on the trees will turn your water green.
Don't freak out if the glitter seems a little clumpy at first. Once the glycerin and water are mixed well, the glitter will separate again.

I hope you like it! This project would make some great cheap presents for family that you actually like.