Christmas Projects

Well, I have knitted four santa hats so far....and dad is cutting the little bowling elves for me....and today...I saw this cute but too pricey ($28 to $318) snowglobes at Anthropologie.

So I did some investingating and found very easy instructions from EHOW and how to make your own snowglobes! My kids will LOVE donig this...which we shall...one day during their vacation break.

Here are the instructions, if you want to try:

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

Instructions:

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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."

Step 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.

Step 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

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

Step 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.