diy anthropologie mason jar snow globes

Don't you love "A Christmas Story"? I've been watching that as I do last minute packing/organizing/nail painting/eating of my favorite Linzer cookie. So great. "Oh my God I shot my eye out!" Just kidding. But I did manage to poke myself in the eye today. The irony, I tell ya. 



Anywho, I'm going to try and keep this short and sweet because it's 1 a.m. and I have to be up for my flight to NYC at 3 a.m. (yikes!) Clearly, I won't be getting much sleep, if any. Needless to say, I've been posting about these awesome little guys for a few days now, so I don't want to keep you in anticipation any longer!

***you will also need white-drying Gorilla Glue
***the little snowflakes & things of-the-like are optional

I was on Anthropologie picking out some things I'd like for Christmas when I came across these mason jar snow globes. I immediately fell in love, but like many things from Anthropologie, they were way too expensive for my budget. Especially when I realized within two minutes of looking at them that I could definitely make something very similar.

The trees inside Anthro's globe reminded me of the ones we used to buy for our lighted Christmas villages. They used to sell them at Walmart and Target years ago, but the only place I could find them this year was at Michael's Craft Store. They are slightly different than my old ones and maybe a little less well-made, but they still work great for this! (And have also been half off for the last week and a half! Score!) Oh, and don't forget to pick out a mason jar that will fit your tree :)

 I made these with my little brother last weekend (he was so excited and freaking LOVED it), but sadly the next morning when he rolled over to his left and shook it (yes people, he slept with it right next to him- that's how cool he thought it was! :')), the tree decided to take a swim. That's when I realized hot glue was probably not waterproof (it isn't,) and I opted for the Gorilla Glue which is 100% waterproof. It works great!! I've tested it by different drying times as well, & whether you let it dry 60 minutes as the directions say, or overnight, you will not wake up to floating trees!

The glue is really simple to use if you haven't tried it before. The catch with it though is that you have to clamp your two objects together while it's drying. I thought this would be a tough task with the shapes we're working with (versus two pieces of wood or something), but with a little thinking I figured out a way!

This was my set-up; chip clips! They worked wonderfully. The giant-sized binder clips also work well too! I used a medium-sized one just to keep it from falling.

How to assemble your snow globe:

1. Peel off any stickers on the bottom of the tree. Slightly wet the bottom of your tree & the center of the inside of the lid to the mason jar. (Gorilla  Glue needs water to adhere)

2. Spread a thin layer of gorilla glue on the bottom of the tree (I used a q-tip) and add a small dot of it to the inside of the lid.

3. Clamp the tree to the lid and let dry for at least 60 minutes.

4. Once dry, add water, glitter, and whatever else you please to the jar. Lastly, turn the tree upside down and place inside the jar. **Remember, when you place the tree in the jar it displaces some of the water, so be mindful when adding the water.

5. Press down on the lid (you may glue it if you'd like, but I didn't), then screw on the outer part of the lid tightly.

6. Turn the jar upside down, and you now have a snow globe!

I love how the glitter catches on the branches of the tree. So winter wonderland-ish :)

 

After I made a few filled with water, I wondered what it would look like without the water added. From Anthro's photo on their website, I couldn't tell if they had a liquid in the jar or not. I guess it technically wouldn't be a true snow globe without it, but I still wanted to try it. I actually really liked it without water just as much with it! It looks really classy. (liquid-less snow globe pictured below)

These would make awesome Christmas gifts, especially for someone who appreciates handmade presents (and really, who doesn't??) They're my favorite kind of gifts :)

I'll be posting another inexpensive DIY tutorial within the next few days, so stay posted!