Four finished pink gingerbread photo snow globe ornaments with You're Too Sweet collars
  • Four finished pink gingerbread photo snow globe ornaments with You're Too Sweet collars
  • Finished pink gingerbread snow globe ornaments with You're Too Sweet collars
  • Flat lay of the gingerbread snow globe supplies: collar wraps, gingerbread cutouts, photo circles, pom-poms, beads, ribbon, scissors, and glue gun
CHRISTMAS / PHOTO CRAFT

Gingerbread Snow Globe Ornaments

  • Mess: —
  • Craft
Jump to the steps
Age
3+
Prep
Minutes per ornament
Type
Photo Craft
The finished project

Gingerbread Snow Globe Ornaments up close

Every angle, before you read a single instruction.

  • Four finished pink gingerbread photo snow globe ornaments with You're Too Sweet collars
  • Finished pink gingerbread snow globe ornaments with You're Too Sweet collars
  • Flat lay of the gingerbread snow globe supplies: collar wraps, gingerbread cutouts, photo circles, pom-poms, beads, ribbon, scissors, and glue gun
Four finished pink gingerbread photo snow globe ornaments with You're Too Sweet collars
Why we love it

Gingerbread Snow Globe Ornaments

These gingerbread snow globe ornaments might be the sweetest Christmas craft we've ever made — each one holds a child's photo inside a pink gingerbread character, tucked into a clear ornament with faux snow. They take minutes per ornament, they cost very little, and parents absolutely melt over them. When my daughter was little, the photo crafts were always the ones that survived the annual clean-out. This is the gingerbread design from our photo snow globe ornament collection — it also comes in reindeer & Santa and arctic animals. All three work the same way, so once you've made one batch, you can make them all.

Shop

Shop the materials

The exact products we used, if you'd rather not hunt them down.

Some links are affiliate links. We only share things we actually use.

Step by step

How to set up gingerbread snow globe ornaments

Follow along at your own pace.

  1. Step 1: Print the Kit

    Print the gingerbread snow globe PDF — page 1 has 12 gingerbread photo cutouts, pages 2–3 have the pink 'You're Too Sweet' collar wraps. Cardstock makes sturdier characters, but regular paper works fine. Print one cutout sheet per 12 kids, and one collar sheet per 4 ornaments.

  2. Step 2: Cut Out the Gingerbread Characters

    Cut out each gingerbread character along the outline. Older kids can do their own cutting (great scissor practice); for preschoolers, pre-cut and let them do the fun parts.

  3. Step 3: Add Each Child's Photo

    Trim each photo to fit behind the face cutout and tape it in place from the back. This is the moment the craft turns into a keepsake — kids love seeing their own smile pop through the gingerbread.

  4. Step 4: Fill the Ornament with Snow

    Open a clear ornament and spoon in faux snow, foam beads, or mini pom-poms — about a third full. Don't overfill; you want the snow to shake around when it's lifted. White and pink poms look especially sweet with the Pinkmas gingerbread.

  5. Step 5: Tuck the Gingerbread Inside

    Slide the gingerbread character into the ornament so it stands in the snow, then snap the two halves closed. If it tips, a tiny piece of tape on the back holds it upright.

  6. Step 6: Wrap the Collar and Tie the Ribbon

    Cut out a 'You're Too Sweet' collar wrap and curl it around the base of the ornament where the two halves meet — it hides the seam and makes it look finished. Tie a ribbon bow over the collar. Done!

What they're learning

Skills hiding inside the play

  • FINE MOTOR SKILLS

    Cutting gingerbread outlines, trimming photos to fit, and spooning snow into a small opening build the hand control children need for writing and everyday tasks.

  • SCISSOR PRACTICE

    Older kids can do their own cutting — following the gingerbread outline is satisfying scissor work with a sweet payoff at the end.

  • PRIDE AND KEEPSAKES

    Photo crafts are the ones that survive the annual clean-out. A child who sees their own smile inside a gingerbread learns that what they make matters.

  • SEQUENCING

    Print, cut, photo, snow, tuck, wrap — six steps in order, each one visible. A gentle introduction to following a sequence to a finished result.

  • GIVING

    These ornaments are made to be given. A child who makes a gift for a parent or grandparent practices generosity in the most concrete way there is.

Words to use

Vocabulary

  • gingerbread
  • sweet
  • collar
  • ornament
  • snow
  • keepsake
  • classroom
  • Christmas
  • Pinkmas
  • ribbon
Talk together

Conversation starters

  • What makes the gingerbread 'too sweet'?

  • Who would you give your gingerbread ornament to?

  • What color pom-poms should we mix into the snow?

  • What does your gingerbread look like? What is it wearing?

  • How does your ornament look different from your friend's?

  • What should we do if the gingerbread tips over?

Read together

books we love

Snow Globe Wishes by Erin Dealey
Snow Globe Wishes by Erin Dealey
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Some links are affiliate links. We only share books we actually read.

Make it yours

Ways to change it up

Same setup, different challenge.

  1. REINDEER & SANTA SNOW GLOBES

    The classic Christmas version — each child's photo inside a reindeer with jingle-bell antlers or a Santa hat. See the Reindeer & Santa Snow Globe Ornaments activity.

  2. ARCTIC ANIMAL SNOW GLOBES

    The cool-blue version — a penguin, a polar bear, and an arctic fox holding each child's photo. See the Arctic Animal Snow Globe Ornaments activity.

  3. DIY SNOW GLOBE PARTY FAVORS

    The original snow globe favor tutorial — acrylic charms and printable collars for classroom gifts. From the blog post that started the collection.

Good to know

Questions parents ask

What is in the printable kit?
The gingerbread kit is $5 and includes 12 gingerbread photo cutouts plus the pink 'You're Too Sweet' collar wraps. Print one cutout sheet per 12 kids and one collar sheet per 4 ornaments — print as many as you need for your whole class.
Can I use regular paper instead of cardstock?
Yes, regular paper works fine, but cardstock makes sturdier characters — and it matters if the ornaments will be handled a lot, since the characters stand up straighter.
How do I run this with a whole class?
Assembly-line it: one station for cutting, one for photos, one for snow-filling. A class of 24 can finish in under an hour. Pre-cut for little ones and let them do the photo-taping and snow-filling steps.
What photos work best?
Ask parents to send a headshot, or use last year's school photos trimmed down to about 2x2 inches.
Should I make extras?
Yes — teachers always wish they'd made one for the classroom tree.
Are the other two designs the same method?
Yes — reindeer & Santa and arctic animals use the exact same six steps. Once you've made one batch, you can make them all.
Keep playing

You might also like