A snow globe is a sweet and completely customizable project that lends itself well to gift-giving.

It’s also a great way to use little figurines or decorative salt and pepper shakers found at a flea market that you like but otherwise don’t know what to do with. Just make sure they’re ceramic, glass, resin or any other waterproof material.

Use glitter for the “snow.” In my jar, I staged a porcelain puppy with pearlescent glitter flakes and added a little loving note.

Gather:

•Smooth-sided jar with tight-fitting lid

•Distilled water

•Liquid glycerin

•Waterproof figurines

•Water-resistant glue

•Large-flake glitter

Create:

1. Make sure your jar is clean and free of sticker residue, especially if you’re reusing an empty jar from the kitchen. You’ll be standing the jar upside down on the lid, so make sure it’s sturdy, too.

2. Glue the figurines to the inside of your lid. I like to let them dry overnight to be sure they’re secure.

3. Fill the jar with water, leaving room for some liquid glycerin. This can be found at a pharmacy or supermarket, and helps thicken the water so the glitter falls more slowly. For a standard-sized Mason jar, add about a tablespoon.

4. It’s up to you to decide how much glitter to use. I ended up using about two tablespoons so that I could have a very sparkly scene. If you like, you can test your glitter in a glass of water before using it in your jar. Some glitters might be too heavy to float around, and others might stay floating at the top.

5. Finally, screw your figurine and lid onto the jar. If you’re worried about the seal, you can first add waterproof glue to the threads of the lid and then screw it on quickly. This will make a permanent waterproof seal. Turn your jar upside down and watch the glitter fall.

This is a lovely project to do for your children. You can go to the store together to pick out what figurines to use and then quickly make many snow globes at a time. You can add a message decaled to the outside of your jar, or glue on a small paper tag with a greeting.