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Snow Globe

Difficulty: Easy

Age: 6 and up, though younger children can assist with adding water and glitter.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! This darling little craft is made from recycled baby food jars, or any other type of jar you have sitting around collecting dust. We suggest making more than one, or you won’t want to give up this little keepsake to your child—they’re great to keep around your own home, perfect for your computer desk. Give your globe a theme and make it a gift for Christmas, Halloween, birthdays or any occasion. Or, you can make a snow globe featuring your favorite characters or animals such as Dinosaurs, Spiderman or Barbie. Enjoy!

For more Christmas fun, be sure to visit our Christmas crafts, Christmas ornaments crafts page, and our main Christmas area. As well, visit our winter crafts for more snowy ideas!

What you'll need:

Baby food jars (medium or large) or any other type of jar with a lid
Florist clay (can be found at any craft supply store)
Small figurine (see “Choosing your figurine” under “Helpful Hints”)
White and/or silver glitter or fake snow
Hot glue gun or aquarium sealing glue (hot glue is less expensive)
Ribbon or felt (optional)
Garland plastic greenery (see “Getting your greenery” under “Helpful hints”)

How to make it:

Wash and dry your jar completely, including the lid.
Attach figurine to inside of jar lid using florist clay. If you are using a small object, it's a good idea to build up the clay so the object will appear taller. To preview, simply place empty jar over the top of your figurine to see if you have the height where you want it. Attach any optional items with the clay (greenery, berries, etc.). Important: Use your imagination, but make sure whatever you use is waterproof and won't dissolve.
Fill jar with water to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top. Use cold water, warm water tends to cloud. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of glitter, or “ snow” into water. This measurement is based on a medium to large baby food jar. Adjust glitter amount according to your size jar.
Using hot glue gun, line inside of lid with glue. Insert figurine in water and screw on lid.
Dab lid dry if any water dripped or spilled. Apply a layer of hot glue around the rim of the lid to seal shut.
Let stand and dry overnight -- lid side up.
Decorating the lid rim is optional, and there are several ways to do it. Attach decorative ribbon with glue, use plastic holly berries for a holiday feel, or use colored felt as we have. This can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Use white or craft glue to run a squiggly line around the felt then sprinkle with glitter and let dry. Glue on buttons, use stickers, or personalize your globe by writing your name in glue and sprinkling with glitter. You may also paint the lid rather than use ribbon or other embellishments. The possibilities are endless so have fun!

Tips:

Keep your globe secure. Make sure the objects are secure in the clay, you could even glue them for added security.

Choose your figurine wisely. Choose a figurine made of a material that will not dissolve or deteriorate in water over time. Cake toppers, small ornaments with the hanger removed, miniature toys and dolls are all possibilities.

Easy-to-find greenery. You will only need small pieces so look for stems in the floral department that are on sale or inexpensive. You can also trim pieces from silk and plastic greenery, or you can even fashion your own small trees out of chenille stems. Another option is to use tiny plastic pine trees found in toy train and car sets.

Glitter tips. Before gluing or sealing the lid, make sure you have sufficient amount of glitter. Depending on the size of the jar, you may need more or less. Be careful! Too much glitter will completely obscure your figurine.

Add color and pizzazz. To make a more elaborate snow globe, add tiny objects to “ float” in the water, use a drop of colored oil to create a swirling effect or use food coloring in the water. Or, instead of using just white or just silver glitter, mix the two colored glitters. Silver tends to fall faster, the white floats more. Putting them together creates a fun effect. These are just some ideas to help you create your one-of-a-kind snow globe. Use your imagination and have fun.

Choose a theme . Make your snow globe for any occasion or theme such as Halloween, birthday, sports, holiday, Victorian and beach (seashells). You can also make two and give one away as a gift.

Save your felt scraps. This craft is a perfect example of utilizing small felt pieces that were left over from other projects so remember to save those scraps.

What is Families with Purpose

Families with Purpose is an organization dedicated to helping busy parents create a meaningful family life for themselves and their children. Through our articles, products, and resources, we empower families everywhere to take control of their family lives and live their lives with intention and purpose. And most importantly we advocate the little things in life, because they really do matter!

What is a Family with Purpose?

A family with purpose is a family who knows who they are, what they stand for, and what they want from life. They have goals and dreams and plans to make them happen. They are families who live their lives with a purpose.

How Families with Purpose Can Help You

Build Strong Families - Use our family life resources to help build a strong family life. Mother Daughter Picture

Conquering the Chaos - Practical tips and products to help even the busiest of families organize their family life, better manage their busy schedules, control clutter, organize their home, and better manage their family finances.

Shop - Filled with a variety of home organizing products, family calendar products, family games, personal finance and household budgeting products, and family travel gear, we work hard to provide parents with the best tools out there to help them better manage and enhance their family life.

Family Activities - Filled with a wide selection of ideas, our website can be used to find family night ideas and plan family activities and find family fun ideas.

Family Games - For game loving families, our suggestions for family games have something for every family as well as tips for fun filled family game nights.

Local Family Fun - Visit our local area family activity page for links to event finders in your state.

Family Crafts - Designed specifically for families who enjoy crafting, our family craft page is filled with ideas for hours of family time fun.

Science Experiments - For families who enjoy science or parents looking for interesting and educational activities for their kids, our Family Science section is filled with great suggestions for science experiments for kids and families.

Family Night Ideas - Inspired by real life family night fun, our page of family night ideas provides families with a lot of great choices for family night enjoyment.

Family Volunteer Ideas - Created for families wanting to get involved in their communities, our Family Giving section is filled with lots of community service ideas for kids and families as well as unique and creative ways of teaching and inspiring compassion in children.

Family Life Blog - Filled with a variety of family life tips, musings, and news, our family life blog keeps busy families up to date. Subscribe via our RSS feed

Family Newsletter - Delivered monthly to your mailbox, our electronic newsletter is packed with family life tips and family activities. Subscribe today, it's completely free.

Easy Navigation - Use our family life sitemap to help you get around our website and find what you need.

Is Families with Purpose for Me?

Families - Inspired by real life families, this website is for every busy family out there struggling to keep up and looking for family life balance. Filled with creative and unique ideas for family activities, family fun ideas, community service ideas, family crafts, and science experiments, we have something for every family.

Busy Parents - Designed specifically for parents on the go, our website provides many unique resources for parents. From our craft kits for kids to our family night ideas our website provides a depth and uniqueness in family life content and ideas.

Group Leaders - Playgroup leaders, religious leaders, and parent group leaders can use our family life resources and family activities to lead group discussions and inspire parents and families.

How Can Families with Purpose Help?

Inspire - Filled with creative ideas and tips from real life families, our goal is to inspire families to spend time together and to make family time a priority. Striving to make your family life a joy filled with fond memories and grand dreams.

Ease the Burden - Providing a one of a kind selection of deep and creative family life resources and family activities to minimize the planning and searching. Striving to go beyond just offering the "what" by providing practical solutions for the "how".

Connect - Helping families create a sense of belonging and a special bond with inspirational stories, encouraging words, and helpful practical ideas.

Quick Family Activity Ideas

Family activities don't have to be elaborate, expensive planned out ideas. Sometimes, simple is better. Kids are looking for your time and attention, so don't forget the simple things in life.

Read a book together
Fly a kite
Bake cookies
Go fishing
Plant flowers
Build a tent and eat lunch inside
Go for a walk
Shoot hoops or play catch
Play hide and seek
Catch Fireflies

Successful Family Activities

Planning fun and successful family activities shouldn't be a chore for busy parents. Most just require a little fore thought and a little planning to be successful. So don't get bogged down in the details or overwhelmed with the planning. The first thing to spoil family activities is a stressed parent, so go slow and ease into your routine.

Alternate between planned and unplanned family activities. Not every family activity has to be an elaborate outing. Sticking around home and just "hanging out" can be just as fun. Just don't let the TV, computer, and video games become a distraction.

Be flexible. Sometimes family activities don't go as planned. The baby is tired, the car had a flat tire, or it rained when it was supposed to be sunny and hot.

Make sure the family activity is something everyone will enjoy or at least tolerate. Talk over the family activities ahead of time and get everyone's input. This will help prevent resistance later on.

Schedule your family activities on the family calendar. Plan out for a month when the family will be together and schedule the family activities accordingly.

Make them a priority. Kids know when parents don't follow through with their promises and are often more hurt than they are willing to let us know. Take the time for the family activities. Your kids will thank you for those little things later.

Why is a Strong Family Life Important?

Parents often ask why its so important for parents to spend working on their family life. After all, they spend time together everyday doing homework, going to sporting events, driving places in the car, and attending school functions, isn't that enough? What's the big deal anyway? Are our kids any better off for all the effort it takes? Yes!! And here are the reasons why a strong family life is so important.

A strong family life creates a sense of belonging for parents and kids alike. Providing security and warmth in an often cool and harsh world. Feeling like you belong is a fundamental human need and when gone unfulfilled in the home, kids and parents will look elsewhere to fill the void.

A strong family life creates memories and builds a strong emotional foundation for our kids. Passing on a legacy of love, compassion, and laughter are an important part of raising a child. These are important values that can get over shadowed when we allow our family life to become disconnected. Raising a child isn't just about the grades or awards they receive. It's also about the person they become -- a person with a strong emotional maturity and intellect.

A strong family life reminds kids on a daily basis they are loved and valued. Strong families are families who take the time to listen and talk without judgment and support each other in times of need

What are the Fundamentals of a Strong Family Life?

Routines & Rituals - Routines and rituals create a sense of normalcy, belonging, and comfort.

Open Communication - Letting every family member have a voice and creating the environment and trust to let every voice be heard.

Unconditional Love - A sense and realization that you are always loved and unconditionally accepted.

Laughter - Families who laugh together, stay together.

Family Fun Ideas

For families looking for new family night ideas or just twists to some of the oldies but goodies, our family night ideas have something for everyone.

Love to read? Then be sure to visit family reading night ideas. Filled with ideas, suggestions, and resources for families looking for family fun ways of adding reading into their lives.

Helping busy families connect over dinner is what our family meals section is all about. Offering family fun ideas to liven up the most somber of meals.

For families looking to add some family fun to their holidays, visit our holiday traditions section for creative and inspiring ideas.

Offering crafting fun for everyone, our craft kits for kids are a great option for busy families on the go. From fun family craft ideas to solutions for bored kids, and birthday parties, we have something for every family.

If science is your idea of family fun, then be sure to visit our ideas for science activities. Great ideas for family nights or school projects.

For game loving families, our suggestions for family games have something for every family as well as tips for fun filled family game nights.

From community service projects to inspiring and teaching compassion, our family giving section has some creative suggestions for getting involved in your local community.

How to Add Fun into Your Family Life

With the ever growing demands from school, jobs, and extracurricular activities, family fun can sometimes get lost or forgotten. Add fun back into your family life with these simple ideas:

Avoid Overscheduling - Be realistic about family activities and commitments and avoid taking on too much. Running from activity to activity or being buried in too many commitments leaves no time for family time and having fun.

Try New Things - Add some spice to your family life and enjoy the family fun and adventure of trying new things. Sometimes all it takes is a change to the traditional habits and routines for families to learn to laugh again.

Learn from Other Families - Watch and learn how other families add family fun into their lives. Use their laughter as inspiration to create your own family fun.

Make it a Priority - Avoid the pitfalls of "too much work and no play" by making family fun and family time a priority.

Family

AWESOME OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup milk

COATING MIXTURE
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon oregano

3-4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon parsley to sprinkle over chicken

Preheat oven to 375.

Pound chicken breasts to flatten or cut horizontal if breasts are too thick. Soak chicken in milk while mixing the the herbs and flour. Mix the flour and herbs in a large plastic resealable bag and shake well to blend. Shake excess milk from chicken and place in resealable bag one piece at a time. Shake bag until chicken is well coated. Place chicken in a casserole dish and dot each piece of chicken with pats of butter and sprinkle with parsley. Bake uncovered for 20 - 25 minutes.

FRUIT SALAD
pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 pound seedless green grapes, washed and halved
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 (8 ounce) container strawberry yogurt

In a large bowl, toss together strawberries, grapes, bananas, and strawberry yogurt.

This meal is rated a two scrubbie clean-up.

Family Dinner Conversation Ideas and Activities

Taking advantage of regular family dinner time is a great way to enhance the time you spend as a family and a simple way of establishing family rituals. Here are some family dinner conversation ideas and activities to help you get started. Remember, these conversation ideas and activities aren't necessarily only for dinner time. At Families with Purpose, we realize breakfast on Saturday mornings or pizza on Friday nights works best for your family, so don't hesitate to try some of these suggestions at a meal that works for you.

Struggling with getting family dinners on the table? Try using a family meal planner to make things easier. Funny Hat Night Activity- Have everyone in the family make or dress up existing hats and wear them while you eat. Use the dinner conversation to talk about the reasons for your hat or hat decorating choices. Give an award to the funniest hat.

Take turns picking a topic of discussion such as current events, vacation plans, or school/work/church events. Use the topic choices to encourage family dinner conversation and as a way of getting the kids to develop opinions.

Have an indoor picnic by spreading out a blanket in the middle of the family room floor and packing a picnic lunch.

Family Dinner Games

For older children and parents try this family dinner conversation idea. Go around the table and ask everyone to name one thing or person that either inspired or significantly affected them during the past week. Be sure to ask them for the reasons behind their choice.

Try only eating with spoons

Change seat nights - Have everyone switch to a different seat while they eat.

Dress up night activity - Have everyone dress up for the occasion and pretend it's a real party. Use the dinner conversation to talk about the reasons for your outfit decorations. Give an award to the best outfit.

Start a giving box that will collect spare change for those less fortunate. Have everyone donate some spare change to the box and use the family dinner conversation to discuss how the money should be used.

Rather than a picnic lunch, why not try a picnic breakfast? Avoid the heat of the hot summer days, by heading to the park for breakfast. Keep food simple by bringing things like muffins, fruit, and juice boxes.

Use family dinner conversation to discuss the latest books everyone has been reading

From our Visitors....
Once a month each child gets to plan dinner. This helps with the fussy ones as they get to plan every part from entree to vegetable to dessert!

We have a "Celebration" dinner plate. Whenever someone has a great day or something extra special that happened,
they get to eat off of that plate.

We always do a "Best" and "Worst" at dinner. Everyone shares the best and worst parts of their day. This is where we often hear about things we didn't know happened!

Marlo Moeller lives in Troy, MI with her three daughters and husband, Jim. When not taking care of her family, she is coaches basketball, volunteers at her daughters' school and is a Creative Memories Consultant. You can visit her website at www.creativememories.com/marlomoeller