DIY Waterless Snow Globe in a Vintage Glass Jar

A few years ago, I made a series of waterless snow globes. A trendy retailer had advertised their version for an uppity price, prompting me to try and recreate them myself. And let me tell you, an obsession was born! So, I decided to make a new DIY waterless snow globe so that I could share with you how I made them.

The waterless snow globes that I had made pre-blog used vintage glass jars and vintage Christmas decorations.

Surprise, surprise!

So, I hunted down another old glass jar to make this one for you.

It even had a red lid AND when upside-down, the ribbing looked like a Christmas tree!

I also gathered other craft supplies that I would need, including:

• Artificial snow;
• A piece of Styrofoam;
• A foam cutter;
• Vintage bottle brush Christmas tree; and
• My hot glue gun.

And last but not least, I grabbed some other minis that would get tossed around with the artificial snow.

Namely, some dollhouse-sized Christmas presents and miniature pine cones.

NOW I could get started on my waterless snow globe!

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Building a DIY Waterless Snow Globe

First, I removed the lid from my vintage glass jar and traced it on the Styrofoam with a pen.

Next, I used a foam cutter or hot pen to cut out the Styrofoam circle.  I carefully shaved off about ¼” from my circle all the way around. 

The foam cutter makes this step an absolute cinch!

Then, I set the foam circle on the inside of my jar lid, making sure there was plenty of clearance for screwing back on the jar. When I was satisfied, I glued the foam to the inside of the lid with my hot glue gun.

Why am I adding the Styrofoam and not just gluing a bottlebrush tree directly to the lid? Because I want to “raise up” my tree and decorations above the neck of the jar. Otherwise, parts of my DIY waterless snow globe get lost by the rim of the lid- and I want to easily see it all!

After that, I placed my bottlebrush Christmas tree on the foam. Before gluing it to the center, I set the jar over it to make sure the tip wouldn’t touch the bottom of the jar (which will actually be the top).

Then, I simply hot glued the base of the tree to the Styrofoam base.

Waterless Snow Globe with Vintage Christmas Decor

Finally, it was time to add the decorative bits to the inside of my vintage jar!

First, I dropped some miniature Christmas presents (from my own childhood dollhouse!) inside…

Next, I poured in about 3/4″ of artificial snow. 

Because every jar size is different and every Styrofoam base will be of different thicknesses, there’s not exact way to figure out how much snow you need to cover the base. Start with a little and add more as needed.

Finally, it was the moment of truth. I tightened the lid of my DIY waterless snow globe…

And flipped it upside-down…which is now right-side-up!

DIY Waterless Snow Globe in a Vintage Glass Jar

After I flipped it, I determined I had too much snow…so I poured a little out and tried again.

I shook it gently until I was happy with how the miniature Christmas presents looked, and that was it!

Isn’t that the CUTEST? I swear, vintage Christmas decorations and old glass jars really do make the best waterless snow globes.

So, do you think you’ll make some vintage Christmas snow globes this holiday season? Such a fun upcycling craft project and perfect for those vintage Christmas decorations that deserve to be showcased!

If you enjoyed this upcycling idea for vintage Christmas decorations, then you’ll love this winter scene I made with a cheese dome, too!

AND I’m so excited to announce that my first book is now available! If you love flannel , then you will LOVE “Crafting with Flannel”! And yes, there’s even an entire chapter dedicated to Christmas projects!

Craft on!

S

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