Looking for winter craft ideas? Follow these easy instructions to create a DIY mason jar snow globe – two different ways!
Oh mason jars, will your versatility ever end? Years ago while searching for winter craft ideas I saw a project similar to this on Pinterest and knew I had to make my own version one day. I mean, miniature trees inside a jar?
Kind of precious, right?
I made this mason jar snow globe using leftover mason jars and miniature trees I had stashed in my Christmas decorations, so I didn’t have to buy any new materials. It’s pretty easy to get your hands on a secondhand mason jar, but not everyone has little trees just hanging around. So I recommend buying handmade miniature trees from Etsy instead of mass-produced plastic ones from a big box store.
If you want to go the even more eco-friendly Christmas craft route, I also made a mason jar snow globe using foraged twigs, which you can check out further down in this post.
So essentially, if you’re on the lookout for winter art and craft activities using repurposed or natural materials – you’ve come to the right place!
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Mason Jar Snow Globe with Miniature Trees
Supplies
– small to medium sized mason jar (Preferably used.)
– miniature trees
– scissors
– white paint (Try to get an eco-friendly paint like this one.)
– artist’s brush or foam brush
– LED tea light candle (The ones with the taller “flame” work better for this project.)
– glue gun and glue sticks (Eco-friendly glue gun sticks here.)
– burlap
– small piece of thin cardboard (I used a piece from a bread box.)
Directions
1. Use the mason jar’s metal ring to draw a circle on the cardboard and cut it out. Then, use the bottom of the tea light to draw a circle in the middle of the larger circle and cut that out too. This is so you’ll have access to the bottom of the tea light to turn it on/off and change the battery if needed.
2. Glue the cardboard to the bottom of the tea light and then glue the whole thing into the mason jar’s lid.
3. If your trees are just plain green, dab a tiny bit of paint on the tips of some of the branches to make them look snowy.
4. Once they’re dry, glue your miniature trees around the candle. Make sure to double check they’ll fit inside the mason jar once everything is assembled.
5. Arrange the burlap around the base of the trees and glue in place as needed and then – once dry – screw the mason jar together.
6. Display and enjoy!
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Mason Jar Snow Globe with Foraged Twigs
Supplies
– small to medium sized mason jar (Preferably used.)
– foraged twigs (You can also buy artificial twigs or miniature trees at a craft store if that suits you better.)
– scissors
– white paint (Try to get an eco-friendly paint like this one.)
– artist’s brush or foam brush
– LED tea light candle (The ones with the taller “flame” work better for this project.)
– glue gun and glue sticks (Eco-friendly glue gun sticks here.)
– lace (Or something else to stand in for “snow.” I used the same lace that I used on my vintage-inspired mounted key.)
– small piece of thin cardboard (I used a piece from a bread box.)
Directions
1. Use the mason jar’s metal ring to draw a circle on the cardboard and cut it out. Then, use the bottom of the tea light to draw a circle in the middle of the larger circle and cut that out too. This is so you’ll have access to the bottom of the tea light to turn it on/off and change the battery if needed.
2. Glue the cardboard to the bottom of the tea light and then glue the whole thing into the mason jar’s lid.
3. Decide how many “trees” you want inside the jar, cut twigs to size and paint them white. (Note: If you cut them so they are the same height as the jar, you won’t have to glue them in place because the pressure of the lid will hold them tight.)
4. Once the twigs dry, drop them into the jar. You can move them around to your liking, but know that when you put the lid on it will spin them around a bit. You could also glue them around the tea light if you want them to be in a particular configuration. I kind of liked that they did there own thing, but that’s just me.
5. Cut the lace into small squares to act as “snow.” It helps if your lace already has a snowflake-like look. Drop the pieces into the mason jar and then screw the mason jar together.
6. Display and enjoy!
Do you have any creative ideas about winter crafts for adults? What about other winter theme ideas? Which of the above “snow” globes do you prefer? Let me know in the comments below!
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Last Updated on November 20, 2023 (Originally Posted on December 10, 2017)
Former architectural technologist. Current treehugger.
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I like both the white twigs and the trees in the globe…they both look very nice when lit up. I am partial to the twigs, since someone very special made me a twig snow globe for christmas….maybe you could try unpainted twigs with burlap base for another version of the snow….well tree globe, could be out all year round instead just at christmas.
Love your idea
Great idea! There could be a whole collection of tree globes… one for every season! Thanks for the comment 🙂