Christmas gives us an opportunity to focus on the bigger picture in life, and direct our thoughts towards others rather than ourselves. This special time of year gives us the gift of perspective. Often we get so caught up in the events of our own life that we ignore the wide world that exists just outside of our window.
One way that I like to remind myself of how easy it is to get stuck in our own world instead of appreciating the bigger picture is through a simple Christmas decoration: the snow globe. When looking at the snow globe, we are looking at a self-contained, miniscule world that exists within the frame of a larger reality. Snow globes remind us not to lose sight of the fact that our world is not all that exists. We are truly a microscopic part of something much larger.
Below, find a set of simple instructions for your very own perfect DIY snow globe. It’s a gift that keeps on giving: the gift of perspective.
Materials:
- clean jars and lids
- distilled water
- glycerin
- figurines/trees
- tinsel glitter
- epoxy
- sand paper
Instructions:
- Clean and dry the jar to make it sparkle inside and out. You won’t want any annoying smudges to be visible forever after, so make sure the glass looks crystal clear.
- Put a dollop of epoxy on the lid of the jar and attach whichever figurines you would like to animate the world inside your gobe with. (Be careful with the epoxy, it’s the best way to prevent the detachment of your figurines because of water damage, but can be thick and difficult to use.) As for figurines, this could be a reindeer, a simple christmas tree, Santa Claus, or something completely different. It’s up to you!
- Now, fill your jar just short of full with distilled water. (Distilled water should be available at your local grocery store.)
- Add a small drop of glycerin to the water. This serves the purpose of helping to suspend your glitter in the water for longer, but if you add too much, the water will be too thick and chunky. This in mind, it’s best to add a very small amount from the start, and if you need more, add it in small increments.
- Now for the fun part: add glitter to your jar. You can just use your judgement here according to how snowy you want your winter scene to look. While regular glitter will work, tinsel glitter is made up of larger pieces, and (I think) works better in creating the snowy effect.
- Now all you have to do is screw the lid on (being sure to check that the epoxy has dried and your figurine is secure) and give the jar a shake! And bam, the perfect DIY snow globe!
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