MAKE: snow globes

Create your own terrarium-style Christmas scenes with these waterless snow globes – they’re fun to make and look fabulous lined up on the mantelpiece!

Making these waterless snow globes made me realise you’re never too old to have fun with snow! You can create whatever scene you like, using all sorts of Christmas-themed bits and bobs. You can even upcycle old Christmas tree ornaments. If you can’t resist the temptation to upend or shake the completed snow scene, be aware that the snow will settle over the ornaments in the jar, unlike a water-filled globe, where it will float to the bottom.

Decide what your Christmas scene will be and select the ornaments and embellishments you will need. If you’d like a coloured lid, spray-paint it and let it dry fully before assembling the jar. You can either use the lid as your base, glueing your objects to that then placing the jar back on top like a dome, or you can use the jar the right way up, glueing objects to the base. For this option, long-nose pliers or tongs are helpful for positioning items in the jar. For the car and North Pole scenes, I elevated my objects by glueing a tiny container (the one my fake snow came in) into the bottom of the jar or onto the lid (pic A) and mounted my scene on that. A small box or some layered foam board would also do the trick. If using the jar the right way up, it’s fun to embellish the lid with ribbon, beads or other decorations (pic B). To assemble, put glue on the feet or base of your ornaments, then position them on the lid or in the jar. Cork lids are great for sticking in wired objects that hang down – for example, the artificial holly in our house scene. For the falling snow in the polar bear globe, I used a needle to thread small white pompoms onto sewing thread, spacing them out (pic C), then glued each strand to the underside of the lid. To make the house scene, I printed out cute house pics from the internet, then cut these out and glued them onto foam board (pic D). When everything is glued in place, it’s time to make your fake snow, following packet instructions. Spoon snow into the jar or pack it around the scene on your lid, screw lid and jar together, then put it on display!

MORE IDEAS: Use air-drying clay to make snowmen or your own cone-shaped trees. Glue glitter onto pieces of faux foliage for extra sparkle.