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The great snow gods have not been kind to us this year. If you’re still pining for wintery white, or just hoping it’d go away, we recommend a quick (and heartfelt) appeal.
Luckily, we have just the thing to melt their frosty disposition: Photojojo’s Make-Your-Own Photo Snow Globes.
Grab a bottle, photo, glitter, and corn syrup and you’re on your way to making an offering not even the gods could refuse.*
* Rigorous, double-blind studies have also proven Photo Snow Globes effective in melting the hearts of spouses, friends, and children.
Ingredient List
Water Bottle or empty mason jar – Fred works great!
Two photos (or 1 transparency)
Clear packing tape, the wider the better.
Scissors
Goo Gone
Glitter & sparkles
Clear (light) Corn Syrup
Good old-fashioned Water
Step 1: Clean your Bottle
Peel any labels and stickers off your bottle, scraping it gently to remove as much as possible. Apply Goo-Gone with a paper towel and spread it onto any sticky surfaces left on your bottle. Let it sit for a few mins, then rub it off.
You should now be left with a clean bottle. (Later, rinse, and repeat if necessary.)
Step 2: Crop your Photos
Trim your two photos (or your single transparency) to about a half an inch shorter and thinner than your bottle or jar, leaving enough space to let the photo float freely but snug.
Step 3: Waterproof your Photos
If you’re using a transparency, skip this step. Otherwise…
Measure out enough tape to cover both sides of your photos, with a little bit extra for a small border.
Lay down a strip of tape sticky side up and press the first photo face down onto it. Ease it down from top to bottom, pressing gently to remove air bubbles. Use a second piece of tape to cover the rest of your photo if your first piece wasn’t wide enough (overlap a little to prevent water from entering.)
Now turn your photo over and put the second photo down on top of your first photo so they’re back-to-back. As before, use tape to cover the surface of the second photo, making a photo sandwich. Remember that the tape is waterproofing your photos, so don’t leave any areas untaped, watch out for tears, and make sure the edges are tightly closed.
Finally, trim the edges so there’s no more than a quarter of an inch on each side.
Step 4: Plop that Sucker in!
Roll up your photo and put it through the opening at the top of your bottle. Do it quickly so the photo doesn’t stay rolled up for long. It’ll unroll on its own after a while.
Step 5: Activate Photo Snow Globe!
Pour water, corn syrup, and glitter into your bottle. We found that a 50-50 water/corn syrup mixture slows down the falling glitter perfectly. And it kind of tastes like flat Sprite. Without lemon or lime.
Ta-Da! Shake and enjoy.
Make it Extra Special
Use a jar instead of a water bottle.
Use a grater to grind up a white PVC pipe to create plastic snow.
Glue the cap onto your jar to make sure no water comes out when you shake it.
Use a glue gun to draw on the outside of your jar or bottle, then pour glitter onto hot glue for a neat effect.
Use a transparency (try the local copy shop) instead of photos.
Add sequins and buttons to your glitter for variety.
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The great snow gods have not been kind to us this year. If you’re still pining for wintery white, or just hoping it’d go away, we recommend a quick (and heartfelt) appeal.
