Throughout my childhood, I found snow globes to be magical and mesmerizing. I would shake them up, set them down, and watch the snow slowly fall to the bottom again and again. This was especially fascinating to a child like me who never grew up with snow, living in the desert. I remember being a child and dropping a snow globe. It was made with glass so it broke, spilling the water and fake snow all over the floor.
I bet my parents would have loved to have had a no mess snow globe in that moment!
I’ve always wanted to make one of those cool DIY snow globes you see all over Pinterest, but there has always been one thing holding me back, the mess! All the liquids, glue, and glitter, don’t mix well with a toddler (who loves to throw things.) The thought just makes me cringe about what kind of a sticky disaster this can turn out to be. Hard pass.
This version of a no mess snow globe requires no liquids, glue is optional, and even the most curious toddler can help put it together. Just keep the hammer and nail away from them!
Here’s what I used, but feel free to make substitutions:
- Empty and clean old water bottle with lid
- Hammer and nail
- Confetti
- Craft poms
- Stickers
- A straw
- Super glue
Be creative with what you want to put in your snow globe! We made ours Christmas-themed, but who says they have to be seasonal? You can even grab a sheet of scrapbook paper or comics from the newspaper and cut out the different characters to use inside your snow globe!
How to assemble your DIY, no mess snow globe!
Using the hammer and nail, make a hole in the center of the lid. This hole should be slightly wider than your straw so it will be easy for the straw to move inside the bottle. You will also want to make a couple of very small holes in the lid or around the top of the water bottle for air to escape.
Put the confetti, craft poms, or whatever you decide to use inside the water bottle. Place the stickers on the water bottle. When you are finished, you can glue the lid on the bottle so your little one won’t open it and dump everything out.
Once the lid is secure on the bottle, place the straw inside the hole in the lid. Blow into the straw to move the confetti and craft poms around giving you the “snow globe” effect. You can also add more items into the bottle and use it as a quiet time, search and find toy.
It’s that easy! No worries about water leaking because there is none! I guarantee there will be no sticky messes to clean up afterward!
Your snow globe may fog up because your child is blowing into the bottle. This can be a great learning project for older kids or homeschooled children. They can use this project to learn about condensation or how fast the objects inside the bottle move with their breathing.
Enjoy your no-mess snow globes and make sure to tag us on Instagram at @VTMom when you show them off!
Looking for more winter DIY crafts? Read 3 Kid-Friendly Nature-Focused Holiday Crafts!
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