Glass Cloche Christmas Decor: 15 Dollar Store Bell Jar Scenes That Look Like an Antique Shop Window

A glass cloche Christmas scene is the easiest way to make a shelf, counter or mantel look like the window of a little antique shop. You take one clear dome, tuck something tiny and sweet underneath, and suddenly it looks like a treasure someone saved for years. The best part is the price. Glass domes now sit in dollar stores, craft aisles and thrift shops for a few dollars, and the fillers are things you already have: old ornaments, pine cones, moss, cotton balls and a sprig from the yard. Every idea below takes an evening or less, and none of them needs any special skill. We kept it safe too, so every glow comes from tiny battery fairy lights, never a real flame under glass. Pour a warm drink, grab a dome and pick your favorite..

Glass Cloche Christmas Forest of Bottle Brush Trees

This glass cloche Christmas forest is the one that makes guests stop and lean in. Three domes in three heights sit on a wooden tray, and each one holds a tiny snowy wood of bottle brush trees. It reads like a miniature winter walk right on your kitchen counter. Mix tree sizes inside each dome so it looks natural, and let a little faux snow drift up the trunks. Want a softer look? Pick sage and frosted white trees instead of bright green..

You will need: 3 glass cloches in different heights, 8 to 10 mini bottle brush trees, faux snow, a wooden tray, hot glue (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Pour a thin layer of faux snow on each cloche base. 2. Glue the trees in clusters, tallest at the back. 3. Sprinkle more snow, lower the domes and set them on the tray.

Vintage Ornament Nest on Moss

Grandma’s old glass ornaments are too pretty to hide in a box, and a cloche keeps them safe from busy hands and curious cats. Lay a bed of moss on the base, then nest five to seven ornaments in soft pink, aqua and silver so they lean on each other. The faded colors look even better behind glass. Do you have one chipped ornament you love? Turn the chip to the back and give it a spot in the nest.

You will need: 1 wide cloche, preserved moss, 5 to 7 vintage or vintage style glass ornaments.

How to make it: 1. Press the moss into a low mound on the base. 2. Set the biggest ornaments first, then fill gaps with small ones. 3. Wipe the glass and cover.

Glass Cloche Christmas Village House With Fairy Lights

A single white ceramic house becomes a whole winter story when you add snow and a strand of tiny lights. This glass cloche Christmas idea glows like a lit window on a dark street, but it runs on a small battery pack hidden under the base. Wrap the wire loosely around the house so the lights twinkle from every side. It is a sweet nightlight for an entry table. Which room in your home needs a little evening glow?

You will need: 1 bell jar cloche, 1 small ceramic village house, faux snow, 1 strand of battery fairy lights with a slim battery box.

How to make it: 1. Set the house on a snow layer. 2. Wrap the fairy lights around the base and tuck the battery box under the cloche edge. 3. Switch on, cover and enjoy.

Woodland Moss and Mini Deer

Bring the forest indoors with a mossy little hill, a few faux mushrooms and a brass deer that looks like it just stepped out of the trees. This is a lovely scene to leave up from late November right through winter, because it feels cozy without shouting Christmas. Add a twig or two for height and a few red berries for color. It looks great on a farmhouse table or a bathroom shelf. Would you add a tiny fox too?

You will need: 1 dome with a wooden base, sheet moss, 3 faux mushrooms, 1 small deer figurine, twigs, a few faux berries.

How to make it: 1. Build a moss hill on the base with glue dots. 2. Stand the deer and mushrooms in the moss. 3. Add twigs and berries, then cover.

Pine Cone and Cinnamon Stick Cluster

Some of the best cloche fillers are free. Gather small pine cones on your next walk, add a bundle of cinnamon sticks and a few star anise pods, and you have a cluster that smells like the holidays every time you lift the dome. Tie the cinnamon with a bit of red twine for a bakery feel. Bake the pine cones on low heat first to open them and chase out any bugs. What free treasure is waiting in your yard right now?

You will need: Small pine cones, 6 to 8 cinnamon sticks, star anise, red twine, 1 cloche or upside down glass bowl.

How to make it: 1. Bake the pine cones at a low heat for about 30 minutes with adult help. 2. Tie the cinnamon into a bundle. 3. Pile everything on the base and cover.

Thrift Vase Glass Cloche Christmas Hack

No dome? No problem. This glass cloche Christmas hack uses a clear thrift store vase or an old glass canister flipped upside down. Set it over a pine sprig and a single red ornament on a round cutting board, and it looks like a pricey shop piece. Textured or bubbled glass looks extra vintage. Check the rim for chips and sand any rough spot with fine sandpaper. Thrift aisles are full of these vases for a dollar or two, so why not grab three?

You will need: 1 clear glass vase or canister, 1 round wooden board, a pine sprig, 1 red ornament, fine sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the vase. 2. Set the sprig and ornament on the board. 3. Flip the vase over them and center it.

Cake Stand and Cloche Tiered Display

A white cake stand under a cloche lifts a small scene right to eye level, which is why it works so well as a centerpiece. Fill it with snow, one mini bottle brush tree and a cluster of red berries, then ring the stand with fresh cedar and eucalyptus. Guests can see it from every seat at the table. Once the holidays end, swap the scene for cookies or cupcakes. Who says a cake stand only holds cake?

You will need: 1 white cake stand, 1 cloche that fits its top, faux snow, 1 mini bottle brush tree, faux red berries, fresh greenery.

How to make it: 1. Set the snow, tree and berries on the stand. 2. Lower the cloche over the top. 3. Lay greenery around the foot of the stand.

Dried Orange Slice Stack

Dried orange slices glow like stained glass, and a neat stack of them under a dome looks like something from an old apothecary. Slice oranges thin, bake them low and slow until they are crisp, then stack them with a cinnamon stick through the middle. Add a few slices flat around the base. The color stays bright for weeks. They also make lovely gift toppers, so why not dry a whole tray and share?

You will need: 3 or 4 oranges, a sharp knife (adult help), a baking sheet, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cloche.

How to make it: 1. Slice the oranges thin and pat them dry. 2. Bake at a low heat for 2 to 3 hours, turning once. 3. Stack them on the cinnamon stick, set it on the base and cover.

Glass Cloche Christmas Ornaments on a Book Stack

Our cozy reading nook favorite is a glass cloche Christmas jar packed with tiny red, gold and green ornaments and set on three old hardcover books. The books lift it up and give it a library look, and the mini ornaments catch the light from the window. Look for books with plain cloth covers at a thrift shop or library sale. It takes five minutes to make. Which old books on your shelf would you pick?

You will need: 1 small cloche, about 30 mini ornaments, 3 old hardcover books.

How to make it: 1. Stack the books with the largest at the bottom. 2. Fill the cloche base with the mini ornaments. 3. Cover and set it on the stack.

Cotton Ball Snowman Under Glass

This little snowman is a perfect project for a cozy night in. Glue three cotton balls in a stack, give him twig arms, a tiny felt carrot nose and a knitted scarf cut from an old sock. Under glass he stays clean and fluffy all season. Kids love helping, but grown ups enjoy it just as much. Set him on a mantel next to some pine cones. Will your snowman have a top hat or a beanie?

You will need: 3 large cotton balls, craft glue, 2 small twigs, orange felt, a scrap of red knit, 1 cloche, faux snow.

How to make it: 1. Glue the cotton balls in a stack and let them dry. 2. Add the twig arms, felt nose and scarf. 3. Set him on snow and cover.

Gingerbread House Under a Dome

A small gingerbread house under a dome looks like a bakery window, and the glass keeps it fresh looking longer. Build it from a kit or bake your own, then let it dry for a full day before covering it. Set it on a plate with a few sprigs of greenery. If you want to make the whole scene sparkle, dust it with powdered sugar snow. Our Mason Jar Christmas Crafts are lovely next to it. What candy would you put on your roof?

You will need: 1 small gingerbread house, royal icing, candy, 1 tall dome with a plate base, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Build and decorate the house, then let it dry for 24 hours. 2. Set it on the base with a dusting of powdered sugar. 3. Cover with the dome.

Glass Cloche Christmas Keepsake With a Family Photo

This glass cloche Christmas keepsake is the one that makes people tear up. Put a small framed photo of grandparents or a first family Christmas under the dome, add a few snow crystals, and set a tiny decorated tree beside it. It turns a memory into a display, and the glass keeps the old photo safe from dust. Print a copy so the original stays in the album. Whose photo would you put under glass this year?

You will need: 1 cloche with a wooden base, 1 mini photo frame, a printed family photo, faux snow, 1 tiny decorated tree.

How to make it: 1. Print and frame the photo. 2. Stand it on the base with a little snow. 3. Cover and place the tiny tree right beside it.

Red Berry and Holly Sprig Mini Scene

Fresh holly with bright red berries looks like pure Christmas, and a cloche turns a single sprig into a little still life. Cut a short stem, tuck it into a small ball of moss or floral foam, and add a few faux berries to fill it out. Under glass it stays fresh a little longer. Keep holly berries away from kids and pets, or use faux berries for worry free decor. Do you have a holly bush near your home?

You will need: 1 short holly sprig or faux holly, a small foam ball, moss, faux red berries, 1 cloche.

How to make it: 1. Wrap the foam ball in moss. 2. Push in the holly and berries. 3. Set it on the base and cover.

Feather Tree Under a Tall Dome

Feather trees were one of the very first artificial Christmas trees, made in Germany long ago from dyed goose feathers. A small one under a tall bell jar looks like a museum piece. Decorate it with tiny red beads and a little star, then set it on a dresser or nightstand. Feather tree kits are easy to find in craft shops. Would you keep it up all winter?

You will need: 1 small feather tree, red bead garland, 1 mini star, 1 tall dome with a base.

How to make it: 1. Fluff the branches. 2. Wrap the bead garland and add the star. 3. Lower the tall dome over the tree.

Mercury Glass Ornament Pyramid

Silver mercury glass ornaments have that soft, aged shine that looks straight out of an old hotel lobby. Stack them in a small pyramid on the cloche base, largest at the bottom, and glue each one lightly so it stays put. Add a few tiny silver beads to fill the gaps. It pairs beautifully with the forest and the village house for a whole shelf of glass cloche Christmas scenes. Which idea will you make first?

You will need: 8 to 10 silver ornaments in mixed sizes, glue dots, silver beads, 1 cloche.

How to make it: 1. Lay the biggest ornaments in a ring on the base. 2. Stack smaller ones on top with glue dots. 3. Fill gaps with beads and cover.