Turn A Plain Mason Jar Into Beautiful Fall-Inspired Snow Globe Decor With A Fun DIY

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A beautiful snow globe puts magical winter wonderlands in the palms of your hands. It's difficult not to feel a bit enchanted when all of those sparkling bits of snow float around inside like fairy dust. If snow globes have any shortcomings at all, it's that they really are mostly meant to be displayed during the cold months of the year, thanks to the winter scenery that typically fills them. Fortunately, if you fancy yourself a DIYer who also happens to love other seasons, like fall, this is a dilemma you can easily overcome. All you need is a Mason jar and a few autumn-inspired supplies to make a beautiful fall-themed globe that'll add a spark to any autumn table decor you have.

If you're repurposing a Mason jar for this, ensure it has a solid lid instead of a two-piece one. A solid lid works better to avoid any spillage. Next, gather the supplies you'll need to create your cozy autumn scene: fall leaves of various hues, a small twig that resembles a miniature tree, and whimsical detail pieces like small acorns and pine cones. Also rescue a wine cork from your recycling bin. If it's extra large, that's a plus. Lastly, you'll need glycerin, like Florida Laboratories Vegetable Glycerin. Tool-wise, a leaf-shaped hole punch, like the Fullhawl Maple Leaf Paper Punch Set, give form to your fall season fantasies. You'll also need your glue gun and a pot for boiling water as well.

Begin the DIY by cleaning the jar and its lid. Also ensure the lid isn't misshapen and it fits tightly onto the jar. Next, go outside to pick up the fall ephemera you'll use for the globe's interior. The leaves should be brilliantly colored without any signs of decay, and the stick should be shorter than the height of the jar. You'll add more visual appeal if you look for sticks from trees that have interesting features, like the American sycamore or coral bark maple, both of which boast distinct bark.

Once you have everything, use the leaf-shaped hole punches to make a bunch of miniature leaves from the fallen leaves. Put the punched leaves aside in a container. Next, press the bottom of the stick into the cork, adding a spot of glue at the twig's base, and glue the cork to the middle of the lid. Then, fill in the scene by gluing the acorns, pine cones, and small rocks around the base of the cork.

After that, boil enough water to fill the jar. Once it's cooled, pour it into the jar and add a capful of the glycerin, which will preserve the foraged decor. Then drop the miniature leaves into the glycerin water. Next, add glue all the way around the jar's rim and screw it in place — pine cones, tree branch, and all. Once the glue dries, turn the jar upright and shake it. You'll have fall leaves flying all around the miniature tree inside your snow globe, and it works great as a stunning DIY fall centerpiece. 

Most snow globes stand on a stylized base. The loveliest ones are not only ornate in their design, but also have something to do with the theme of the snow globe. Since you're featuring a mini tree in your DIY, adding a base that looks like the trunk of a tree would be a fun detail. If you have a small stump that's about the same size as the jar's lid, glue that onto the lid. If you have no stump, try gluing a couple of craft rounds like Colovis Natural Wood Slices together to create a base. Slices of wood with the bark still on them add texture and style to the display. Adding a foundation like this to your fall snow globe is a clever way to include more of the piece's themes into its design.

However, adding a base isn't the only way to make this whimsical decor accent slightly more ornate. For example, if the lid is rather large enough to accommodate more tiny fillers, glue items like fairy houses or mini squirrels to it, along with the branch. Or, you could fill the glycerin water with small wooden bees or birds to give a nod to the animals who start making their plans to hibernate once the autumn leaves start to fall.