How to Make Snow Globe Dioramas for Christmas and Holidays

Snow Globe Dioramas: I saw something similar for sale in kit form and decided to make my own, and share the tutorial.

The main materials needed are two-part plastic sphere ornaments -- the kind with a double hook holder at top, so that when pulled into two parts, each has a little hanging hole for a hook or piece of ribbon or cording (see the pictures). I had to order mine online; neither Hobby Lobby nor Michael's had the kind I needed.

Other materials are:

• glitter or fake snow
• some cotton or batting
• a piece of cardstock
•  hot glue gun and glue sticks
• the things you wish to place inside

Place one half of the ornament onto card stock. I used plain cardstock for some, and old Christmas cards for others. Trace around it, then cut out the circle.

On the circle, glue down (I use glue dots) some batting or cotton, cut into a shape or angle to represent a little hill or snowy foreground.

Atop the cotton "snow," glue down the stickers or little paper shapes you are using. I used little shapes from some cardstock confetti, and some small stickers, to make a scene. I could have trimmed the back of a sisal tree and glued it in place with hot glue, to make the scene more dimensional. 

I double-placed each animal cutout, by placing one cutout, putting a thick glue dot on it, and placing another identical cutout on top of it, to make it dimensional.

Now you place some fake snow into the half globe and hold it like a little bowl so it doesn't fall out. If you forget to add the snow into the little globe bowl (as I did), you'll have to partially glue the circle down, pull out the top of the circle as shown in the first picture, and put some snow in. I put clear big glitter circles in one globe, and tiny styrofoam balls into the other globes. The fluffy fake snow in a bag would also be pretty.

Put slow-setting hot glue around the edge of the half globe, and place the cut-out circle against it, with the scene sealed inside.

MAKE SURE that you have the scene oriented correctly before pushing the circle against the globe's edge.

Now you can put some glitter, tinsel, cord or ribbon (or nothing) along the edge to disguise where you glued the circle to the globe. I put more hot glue and then dabbed the edge into glitter poured onto a paper plate.

Not Shown: 

Pretty Scallops: You can get a scalloped circle somewhat larger than the back of the ornament, and glue it to it, to make a pretty "frame" around the scene.

Stand-up Scenes: To make a stand-up scene to go atop a Mason jar or other jar or box, it's a slightly different process. You can get some tiny sisal trees and figurines (I have some tiny deer I got in the dollhouse section of Hobby Lobby) and put them on top of some batting or cotton glued to the cardstock circle. Have the circle completely covered with the cotton this time. Make sure the items are tiny enough so that they fit within the half globe (you'll likely have to have most of the scene in the middle). When you are happy with the scene and everything is safely glued to the circle, put a bead of hot glue on the edges of the globe and lower it onto the circle.

Thank'ee for dropping by, and I hope ye enjoyed the tutorial.