DIY Holiday Snow Globes

After seeing this Martha Stewart article on how to make DIY snow globes, I knew I had to make my own because I just love getting crafty during the holidays! :) Despite multiple trips to AC Moore, a few unsuccessful trips to the hardware store to find small Mason jars and one Amazon.com order, I finally got everything I needed to started the process. It was definitely trial and error at first, but after I figured out how to make the first one and got it right, it was easy as pie from there. I hope my steps can help make it a bit easier if you decide to try out this DIY project! :)

What you need...

• plastic or wooden figurines of your choice and size from your local craft store (I went with a few traditional ones likes trees and snowmen and then some fun Hello Kitty ones!)
• mason jars that are proportionate to the size of your figurines (I bought these)
• small wooden blocks or spools to prop up your figurines
• Elmer's fast drying epoxy
• small plastic bowl
• Q-tips
• water
• vegetable glycerin (it helps the glitter float)
• glitter of any color (I used a mix of these)

What to do...

1. Following the directions on the epoxy package, squeeze out a little bit into the small plastic bowl and mix the two types of glue together with a Q-tip.
2. Use the Q-tip to apply a bit of epoxy to the bottom of the wooden block or spool and arrange on the inside of the lid as you see fit. (Your figurines will go on top of them.) Allow them to dry for a few minutes. This will make it so your figurines stick up over the jar's mouth and lid so you can fully see them and they're not hidden.
   *TIP: Make sure the wooden pieces are arranged so that the jar will fit over them - they can't be too close to the edges of the lid. Also, if your jars have any writing or embossing on the sides, make sure that you figure out which way the figurines and blocks should face so that they are not covered by the writing and instead face out on one of the blank sides. To do this, you can twist the lid shut tightly and put a little mark on it when it's at the center of one of the blank sides.
3. Apply some more epoxy to the bottom of your figurine and stick it on the wooden piece. Let it dry for about ten minutes - it really dries quickly!
4. Fill up the jar with tap water almost all the way to the top.
5. Add a few drops of the glycerin followed by a bit of glitter. The more glitter you add, the clumpier it will get, which can make it look like snowflakes but it won't sparkle as much. Add as much as or as little as you want to suit your taste. 
6. Screw the lid as tightly as you can on the jar and flip it upside down. Now you'll have a cute little DIY snow globe! Shake often to swirl around the glitter and enjoy!! :)

Here are some photos of my snow globes - I made 7 in total. I went a little overboard with the photos because I had so much fun making them!! Which one is your favorite??