Q&A for How to Make a Snow Globe With a Jar

You need to use bottled or distilled water because tap water has impurities that can discolor or cloud the water over time. Distilled water works the best because all of the dissolved minerals have been removed.

No, styrofoam floats. It will stick to the top and not work. You can try beads.

This is most likely happening because you didn't add glycerin or baby oil.

You could laminate the photo before putting it inside. You could also attach it to the back of the snow globe outside of the glass.

I would suggest a glue gun. But if you don't have that, then it is best to use superglue. Do not use tape or solid glue as an adhesive because it will either dissolve in the water/glycerin/oil or detach from either surface.

You do not have to use glitter. Do not use sugar or salt, because they'll dissolve in the water.

It's probably the wrong type of glitter. Try plastic glitter or glitter that's finer.

Yes, but you may want to experiment with how much sand to use to avoid making the swirling sand too thick. Small, lightweight seashells work better than heavy shells that do not float.

Use the strongest glue you can find at your local DIY shop or hardware store.

Glitter is used for the "snow". If you want it to look like snow, use white glitter.

You can laminate small paper cutouts of different shapes. For the "snow" I would advise small white paper snowflakes. Make sure they are laminated, or else the paper will dissolve. If you do not have a laminator, you can go to your local Staples and pay a few bucks.

Those are air bubbles. This happens have a layer of oxygen when you close the lid. Following step 7 is meant to prevent this.

It should last undisturbed for years, but if it is getting a lot of use, it could fall apart very quickly. It also depends on what glue you are using. Stronger glues will make it last longer.

the ink might run but if you laminate it it might last a bit longer but could still run depending on the quality of lamination

No, tear drops will not work for glycerin.

You either used too much glitter or too much oil/glycerine. To avoid this, use less oil or glitter. (It might take some experimentation to figure out the right ratios.)

It is not recommended to use corn syrup as a substitute.

It depends on what holiday or occasion you're making the snowglobe for. You should try to find something that is not too big and that matches your theme. Plastic toys, little dolls, miniatures, etc., are examples of some things to choose.

Really any size jar works; you just have to find things to fit inside of them. You can be creative with the items that go inside your snow globe, it's just important that they are made of materials that won't break down in water. Think plastic, ceramic, etc.

Yes. Hot glue is the best way to glue down the figures because it dries fast.

When you go to put the lid on, make sure the water in the container is above the top, like it is about to overflow, then put the lid on.

Yes, but the weighting might be different and it won’t look as visually interesting. However, it could look really cool with the right beads!

If you're using water, it will do this. But if you use glycerin, it should sink.

It probably has too much glycerin in it. If so, it will stick together. Just give a day or two and it should come apart.

Yes. The purpose of the glycerin (or substitute) is to make the fake snow/glitter fall slowly making it look cool and realistic. Baby oil works just fine.

It depends on what type of snow globe you are making. Dry is dry and stays still so you can use any figurine for that. Water based needs figurines which can resist in the water (water proof). If it can stay in the water, it is your choice to put it in.

There are two types of snow globes; waterless and water. The water ones have glitter/fake snow, making it kind of float. The waterless just stay still. So, if you are making a water-based you need a figure which can resist in the water (water-proof). For dry, you can use any. It also depends on the theme! (christmas can be trees, santa, snowman; Disney can be princesses).

This is a personal preference. You could try both, and see which one matches your preference. Glycerin tends to be better to use in some cases (depending on what materials you use in your snow globe) but if you do not have glycerin, you may also use baby oil. But both work fine.

Yes, the color will not affect the outcome. Use liquid food dye, not the gel. Just make sure you don't add too much liquid or it might overflow.

Add several drops of glycerin to keep your "snow" suspended, so it falls correctly. Another option is to fill your jar with mineral oil or baby oil instead of using the distilled water and glycerin.