A glass ball with a figurine and falling snow inside is a Christmas souvenir known throughout the world. It is believed that the French were the first to do such crafts back in the 19th century. Today, on the eve of the New Year holidays, you can buy a similar product in any store, but it’s much more interesting to make a snow globe with your own hands.
Preparation of necessary materials
To make this Christmas craft, you will need: a jar with a lid, any waterproof glue, decorative figures, sparkles or polystyrene, glycerin, water. DIY snow globe can be made from almost any capacity. Jars of baby food and other food products are great for this purpose. Remember, the more interesting the shape of the container, the more original the finished craft will look. Any figures can be placed inside the can: factory-made souvenirs, small children's toys, and decor can be made independently of polymer clay. Before starting to make crafts, rinse and dry the container well.
We master the interior decor
Homemade New Year's snowball can stand on the lid or bottom of the can. Decide in advance what you like best and start decorating the part that will become the bottom.
Option one: glue the selected figures directly onto the lid or bottom. Paste the remaining space around with glue and sprinkle with foam shavings or sparkles. Leave the decor to dry for a while. It is believed that a snow globe made with one's own hands will look most impressive if you install the interior decor at a slight elevation. The easiest way to achieve this effect is using a piece of plasticine. Blind the cake into a shape and size and stick it on the glue to the lid or bottom. Next, install decorative figures by drowning their base in plasticine, and then mask the base with polystyrene or sequins.
The magic begins
As soon as the blank with the interior decor dries, we can begin to fill our container and assemble it. How to make a snow globe with your own hands at home? To fill the tank you will need glycerin - you can buy it at a pharmacy. Pour into a can of distilled water - 2/3. Fill the remaining space with glycerin. Do not forget to add sparkles, sequins, beads or other small elements imitating falling snow. If there was nothing suitable at hand - you can make "snowflakes" from finely chopped rain, foil or waterproof confetti.
Sealing and finishing touches
Even if the lid of your can is closed tightly, it will not be superfluous to smear it with glue before twisting. Handle the finished souvenir very carefully. Remember, if a glass snow globe leaks or breaks, you will ruin the textiles or very dirty furniture.
Your magical Christmas craft is ready, but you can add a few finishing touches if you wish. Decorate the lid on the outside using foil, wrapping paper or a beautiful cloth. If the top of the souvenir is flat, you can stick a small decorative figure on it.
Is it possible to make a ball with falling snow without glycerin?
A popular question for those who decided to make their own snow globe for the first time - is it possible to use ordinary water without additives for the manufacture of this craft? In fact, this is not a good idea, since glycerin slows down the subsidence of artificial snow and extends the shelf life of a souvenir. Ordinary water will deteriorate faster, the interior decor may become unpleasant, or the liquid itself will become cloudy.
If glycerin is not at hand, and you want to start the creative process right now, you can replace it with refined vegetable oil or a very sweet clear syrup. But remember, no matter what product you choose, in any case after a few months it will go bad. This also applies to glycerin.
Useful tips and interesting ideas.
It is believed that the smaller the snowball and the more interesting its shape, the prettier it looks. To follow this rule or not is your personal business, but do not use cans of more than 1 liter for this craft.
A souvenir with falling snow can also be made from a plastic container. The main condition is a tight-fitting lid, the transparency of the vessel and the absence of excess edges and ugly seams on its surface. By a similar principle, a glass jar is also chosen. Best for the manufacture of this craft suitable container with smooth walls or a small number of faces. But the complex cut will interfere with the fascinating inner world of the composition.
Now you know how to make a snow globe, but still think what to put inside? Small houses, Christmas trees, snowmen, Santa Claus, figures of animals or fairy-tale characters - if you create with your child.
Craft with the "falling" snow can be not only New Year's. Try to make such a souvenir on March 8 or Valentine's Day. Accordingly, the interior decor should support the theme of the holiday, and only sparkles, multi-colored beads and confetti can fall in such a ball, and foam plastic is not needed.
Another interesting idea is to make a ball with a postcard or photo inside. You will need a paper photo or a beautiful picture of a suitable size. Glue the blank with transparent tape so that it is not wet. Next, as always, place the decor inside and mask its base, add sparkle and finish the work, pouring the solution and tightly corking the lid.