Lantern Snow Globe

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How to Make a Lantern Snow Globe

Sponsored by The Star In Theaters November 17, 2017

Today I’m going to show you how we made a snowy, glowing, and beautiful Christmas decoration inside of a lantern showcasing a beautiful nativity inspired scene! 

How to make a Lantern Snow Globe - a snowy, glowing, and beautiful Christmas decoration idea inside of a lantern showcasing a magical holiday scene. #ChristmasDecor #DIYdecorations #Christmas #HolidayDecor #HomemadeChristmas

The holiday season is officially here and it’s our most favorite time of the year to decorate, celebrate, and enjoy time together. Each year we like to add more to our decorations, and homemade items are our favorite. The kids bring neat crafts and pictures home from school and we enjoy watching the neighborhood come to life with lights at night. The music, the smells, the food… these are the events we will always remember. 

Don’t the lanterns look festive and exciting? One lantern has a little home surrounded by a forest of trees. The other lantern has a large star, representing the sky above the little home. The little home reminds us of a manger just like the one Baby Jesus was born in. Placing the pieces inside of the lantern is similar to putting together a nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, shepherds, the Wise Men, angels, and animals. Each part is so important! Spending time together and creating moments to talk about why we celebrate Christmas is important for our family.

You might want to grab an old lantern for this breathtaking Christmas decor idea! #DIYdecorations #Christmas #HolidayDecor #HomemadeChristmas

A lantern is usually used to hold candles, but we think they are perfect for this DIY Christmas decoration idea!

Last year we made snow globes on top of mason jars and even a snowman snow globe. This year, we decided to use decorative lanterns to create a magical imaginary winter scene that comes to life at night, just like our street does.

You'll never believe what this little Christmas scene is made out of! #DIYdecorations #Christmas #HolidayDecor #HomemadeChristmas

Our theme for this craft is based on the movie THE STAR which is an inspirational movie about the first Christmas. It’s told from the heartwarming perspective of animals with big personalities that all kids (and families) will love this holiday season. Plus, no Christmas is complete without wonderful music and this movie has some songs from our favorites!

Our Homemade Snow Globe Lantern Decorations

The lantern with the little home glows with small star-shaped lights around and above it, while the large lantern represents a large star in the sky above the little home nestled in the snow. With a little imagination, you can imagine setting out on a journey from home following the light of the stars. Making these star lanterns for Christmas reminded me of when my mom would take me on nighttime hikes as a child. We used to go camping a lot, and there was one particular lake that she loved to hike around at night. She would take me after dinner under the stars of clear mountain skies. The stars in the mountains would shine so bright that she would lead me on a hike without flashlights. I remember it like it was yesterday… reaching our destination following just the lights of the stars. 

What is so fun about creating snow globes and miniature snow scenes is that your imagination can run wild, especially for kids! When the sun set and it was dark outside, my kids turned on the lights inside the lanterns and were imagining walking from one to the other in the snow and through the trees. Wouldn’t it be neat if they could actually do that? I know they will remember this night. 

Supplies needed to make a winter snow globe:

  • Empty lanterns. They can be any size and found at any craft store
  • Fake snow.
  • Small figurines. Found at any craft store during the holiday season. 
  • Flamless candles/tea lights
  • Star shaped tree topper made for a miniature Christmas Tree
  • White paint
  • Paint brush
  • Star fairy lights
  • Miniature white ornaments (glittery ones are even better!).

How to make a Snow Globe Lantern

  1. Paint the base of the tree topper white using acrylic paint and a paint brush (kids are great at doing this!). Let dry.
    How to make a snow globe lantern
  2. Place some fake snow on the inside of the lantern
  3. Put the flameless candle in the center
    Snow globe lantern idea
  4. Add a few of the miniature white ornaments on top of the snow with the metal part facing down (hidden).
    How to make hills using fake snow and miniature ornaments
  5. Sprinkle some more snow on top. The ornaments create a hilly effect of billowing snow on top of hills.
  6. Place the start tree topper on top of the flameless candle. This gives the start extra height and the light from the candle makes the star glow!
    snow globe lantern idea

Once the sun sets, the lanterns come to life showcasing a glowing Christmas scene of lights, snow, and stars. It’s so magical for kids!

You might want to grab an old lantern for this breathtaking homemade Christmas decor idea! #DIYdecorations #Christmas #HolidayDecor #HomemadeChristmas #ChristmasTraditionIdeas

The sky is the limit with how you can decorate the inside of a winter snow globe lantern. We added some greenery and cranberries around the outside of ours for extra texture and color. 

Be sure to plan a special day to see THE STAR this holiday season with your family. It comes out November 17 and you’ll come home with lots of inspiration to make your own snow globe lantern with your kids! For more information visit THE STAR website for coloring pages, music, and more.

If you like upscale decor on a budget, this snow globe idea is for you! #DIYdecorations #Christmas #HolidayDecor #HomemadeChristmas


Kelly Dixon

Welcome to Smart School House! I’m so glad you are here! I’m Kelly Dixon and my website is designed to inspire your creative side. I hope you visit us here often!


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3 Comments

  1. Can it be shaken to make it “snowing” inside the lantern?

    I believe that if you taped or glued the flameless candles to the bottom of the lantern and somehow secured the star/tree topper base, and maybe did something different with the ball ornaments before adding snow, you could do it!

    Then you could just lightly jostle the “snow” filled lantern with the tightly glued star or nativity scene and make it the aftermath of a beautiful snow storm inside! You’d put just a few inches of the snow in the lantern.

    Naturally it wouldn’t snow like a real, liquid filled snow globe, but it’d still be fun to make the drifts of snow move around.