a Christmas DIY

I thought I would bring you a little DIY on Christmas day. Probably too late for a gift, but I think it would make for a nice afternoon of crafting if you want to entertain the kids during the holiday. The snow globe DIYs have been mushrooming all over the interweb the past couple of winters. But I thought I would post about mine and share my tips, in case it can help anyone. The best I've seen so far is the one from Cat from Take Courage (check out her Christmas diys, the girl has been on a roll). She very cleverly used glycerine so the snow is slow in its fall. Also, I love her idea of using a polymer clay mount so the figurines are on better display.

 

Here is what you'll need to make your very own snow globe:

- an empty jar
- figurine(s) of your choice (I went for a tree and a bunny as it was intended for my friend who is quite the rabbit lady)
- glitter (white, holographic or silver are classic options but go for a colourful one to add your personal touch)
- strong glue
- glycerine (optional)

1. First you need to glue your figurine inside the top of the jar (or as mentioned above, use a polymer clay mount to stick your figurines to). I used super glue and it worked fine. You might need to sand the surface first so there's a better grip for the glue. I'd then advise to leave it overnight to dry, but if you're impatient like me, 2 hours seems to have done the trick.

 

2. Now here comes the 'tricky' bit. Something I haven't seen mentioned in any of the DIYs I've stumbled upon is that the type of glitter you go for is of vital importance. I'm not sure you'll be able to make it out from my pictures, but the glitter I have is of the flat kind. Very pretty, but troublesome when added to water as they tend to stay on the surface of the water and cluster if you add just a smidgeon over.

If this is the only glitter you can get your hands on (as it was in my case), you'd best skip the glycerine altogether. I did several tests with it and found that the best results are achieved when you add a tiny splash of glycerine to warm water, stir well, let the concoction cool down then add 7 to 15 pinches of glitter. But it's risky business and the difference is honestly not noticeable as the glitter is too light for the water anyway (for the same reason fake snow, which is even lighter, won't work too well for this DIY).

The ideal glitter you should be looking for is of the sandy, gritty texture. It is much heavier and that's where a spoonful of glycerin comes handy.

 

4. Fill the jar to the very brim over a sink and screw the top back on. And voila, your very own handmade snow globe!

I hope you're all having a lovely christmas day surrounded by loved ones and filled with good food. I have been missing this space and reading you all. Weirdly enough, I have kept drafting posts and taking pictures, but I didn't feel like putting myself out here for some reason. Maybe I'll try to schedule some catch-up posts, but I don't know if they'll feel offensively irrelevant. Not that I ever write anything relevant…

Is anyone watching Downton Abbey tonight? I'm quite excited although I have to say Julian Fellowes makes me nervous with his taste for tragedies.