holiday crafts Archives

Bookmark this mason jar snow globe topper idea right now. In fact, go buy the clear plastic ornament sets at a major discount at Michael’s Crafts. That’s what I did. Even two weeks before Christmas, Michael’s had already marked down the ornament sets to 50 cents (originally $1.29). I bought a class set, so my students could make personal mason jar snow globe toppers to take home as gifts for their families. The toppers are fun to make, and you can fill the jars with all kinds of treats.

Snow Globe Topper Materials

plastic ornament in two halves (2.75″ diameter– fits 4 oz. and pint mason jar lids, regular mouth)
full body photo printed on cardstock that shows above the head and below the feet (printed ~1.75″ and then cut down)
mini trees, presents, snowmen shapes or other accessories for the scene inside the snow globe (I found these at Michael’s in the snow scene section. These materials did sell out close to the holidays.)
fake snow flakes (sold in bags during the holidays– a little different than glitter)
sparkly pipe cleaners
hot glue gun
Elmer’s glue

Snow Globe Topper Directions

Remove the lid pieces from a mason jar. Next, separate the ring from the flat lid part. Run a bead of hot glue around the flat edge of one half of the plastic ornament. Quickly and firmly, press the dome to the edges of the lid ring. The hot glue cools quickly, so you have to move fast. If you attach the ornament part off center, carefully pull it apart, remove the cooled glue, and start the process over.

In small sections, run a bead of glue along the line where the plastic ornament half attached to the Mason jar ring. Press the pipe cleaner into the glue. Keep running a small bead of glue and press the pipe cleaner as you move around the edge of the ring. When you have finished the circle, let the glue cool. After cooling, snip the extra pipe cleaner length off.

If you want to personalize the snow globe topper, take a photo of a loved one that shows the full body and has space above the head and below the feet. Pet pictures would work well too. If you live in a warm climate, have the subject look cold in the photo or hold hands up like it is snowing. In addition, add props like scarves and Santa or elf hats when taking our photos. Print the photo on cardstock or another stiff paper. Set the height of the photo to 1.75″. You will cut around the shape of the body. Depending on the height, you may need to cut the bottom part of the legs off too. Cut around the entire figure. When it is time to attach to the jar lid, make adjustments to the height of the picture, so it stands straight inside the plastic dome if necessary.

Using a hot glue gun, attach the photo and scene accessories to the flat plate-like part of the Mason jar lid. Attach the objects, so they stand straight. They should be as close to the center of the jar lid as possible. Test the height of the objects to make sure they will not get squashed down when the ring with the plastic ornament is screwed down. Cut off the the bottom of any little figures as necessary.

Drizzle Elmer’s glue all over the rest of the flat part of the lid and around the edges of the little figures in the center. This piece of the Mason jar lid has a slightly raised edge, which makes it easy to fill the center area. Avoid the edges of the plate.

Scoop fake snow onto the Elmer’s glue and let dry.

Fill your glass mason jar with festive contents. There are many fun options like cocoa mix, cinnamon sugar, soup mix, spiced nuts, and candies.

Carefully lift the flat part of the lid with the snow scene onto the top of the jar. Gently put the domed ring over the snow scene. Finally, screw the ring down to tighten.

If you are looking for more mason jar ideas this holiday, try this LAYERED COOKIE JAR. We have also made LAYERED COCOA MIXES in mason jars. If you need something savory, these SOUP JARS were a big hit.

Holiday market week is here! After working all semester, my students’ products are bagged, tagged, and ready for purchase. The first product we assembled back in September were these reindeer food ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree (we also made these BIRDSEED ORNAMENTS and several MASON JAR MIXES). On Christmas Eve, you open the bag and sprinkle the reindeer food on your lawn to attract Santa’s reindeer.

I originally received a bag of reindeer food from a grandparent in my son’s 3-year old nursery school class. I kept that original bag all these years and duplicated (modified) the pattern over the years. The original reindeer food is a little fancier than the version my fourth graders made this year. Mass production with a 10-year old work crew forced us to simplify a few of the steps.

Materials

old fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
glitter (we prefer silver, light blue, or clear colored)
bead bags with ziploc top (3″ x 5″)
tan or light brown cardstock or scrapbook paper (3″ x 4″ pieces, folded in half)
dark brown cardstock or scrapbook paper
googly eyes (10 mm)
red pom poms (10 mm)
jingle bells (3/4″)
skinny ribbon (~12″ strips– curly ribbon works)
stapler
Elmer’s glue or hot glue gun
scissors

Directions

Mix oatmeal and glitter in a bowl. You will need 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of oatmeal mix per bag, so mix the amount you need and add the amount of glitter sparkle you like!
Scoop sparkly oatmeal into a bead bag and seal the bag closed making sure the ziploc is secure. Don’t overfill the bags. I like the bags to be about half full and not overly plump. Set aside.
Make an antler template. I cut up a manila file folder to make my template. The antler is about 2 1/2″ tall and 1 1/2″ at the widest bumpy part. Using the template, trace the antler pattern on the dark brown paper and cut as many antler pairs as you need.

Fold the light brown 3″ x 4″ paper in half, so the paper is 2″ x 3″. Glue two antlers on the back and let dry. Watch that the antlers do not slide while the glue is wet. You may need to hold the antlers in place for a minute until they stick in position.

Thread one jingle bell onto a piece of ribbon. Silver jingle bells were easier to thread than gold; they had a bigger “loop” on the bottom in the brand that I purchased from Michael’s Crafts. Move the jingle bell to the middle of the ribbon piece. Match the ends of the ribbon and tie a knot close to the ends. After the antlers dry, wrap the loop of ribbon around the folded piece of paper, so the knot of the ribbon sits up against the fold, and the jingle bell is above the paper near the antlers (like a handle for hanging).

Slide the oatmeal bag into the folded paper and line up the top of the bag with the crease at the top of the paper fold. You may have to adjust the ribbon strip a little, so everything sits neatly. Staple the bag in place in the center of the paper where the mouth would be.
Glue eyes and nose onto the front of the paper and let dry.
If you want to dress up your reindeer food a little, see the picture below with embellishments like the bow on the front (to hide the staple) and pointed face. This one is my original reindeer food bag that I have been using as my model all of these years– and not letting my children open and use it!