Easy Borax Crystals From Start to Finish * Science experiments

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So you want to grow your own crystals!

Borax crystals are the easiest home crystal-growing project you can find. And you can do this with affordable and easy to find detergent and pipe cleaners! 

It is a project that is fun for the whole family and will teach your kiddos some science as well!

I have worked with borax quite a bit and also alum, which gives another kind of crystal, and found that this detergent is the quickest and easiest way to make yourself a geode, sun-catcher, decoration, or whatever you like!

All you need are four things:

  1. Jar
  2. Water
  3. Pipe Cleaners
  4. Borax


Honestly, that's it!

If you want to add some extra color, you can also use some food coloring to dye your pipe cleaners to a shade you prefer. I use white pipe cleaners and pastel dyes just for fun.

All right, let's just jump right in! Gather up all your supplies and get ready!

Step 1:

~Grab your pipe cleaners and start making your shape. I had a sweet little puppy helper while I formed my tear-drop in my pajamas:


~I rolled and cupped mine for the blue "geode" in the top image and made a teardrop shape for the tutorial. You can pick whatever shape you like as long as it can easily be removed from the jar. 

~ Allow 1/4 inch of room on each side of your shape to the mouth of the jar.

** Normally you would tie 12" of thread to your shape to dip into your mixture. If you don't have any thread on hand, wind in an extra piece of pipe-cleaner to be removed in the end**

Step 2:

~ Fill your jar about halfway or 3/4 of the way full of water and pop it into the microwave for 3 minutes.

Step 3:

~ You want to do this as quickly as you can. Mix in a 1/4 cup of borax into the boiling water until it dissolves and runs clear again.

~When it runs clear, add 1 tbsp at a time until it no longer dissolves.


Step 4:

~ Now that your borax is mixed, quickly add your coloring if you chose to dye your crystals.


Step 5:

~ Get your pipe-cleaner shape and get ready to dip!

~ You want to measure how far down your shape needs to hang and tie or wrap your hanging piece to a pencil, wooden spoon, or whatever you can find to set atop the jar.

~ I don't want the crystals to climb the hanging piece, so my shape will be submerged just over the top of it.

Would you like to try making your own cheese next?

Give it a try here:

Step 6:

~ Go find something else to do!

~ Drape a paper towel over the top to prevent dust from settling in your jar and then leave it alone. Crystals will begin to form in as little as 5 hours. However, the mixture should sit at least overnight but can remain until you no longer notice any growth. 


And there you have it!

After 24 hours, this is what my tear-drop looks like:


I will be dropping this beauty back in for another day to see how much more growth it accumulates. If you like the way yours turned out after 24 hours - cut the string and you're done!

If you want to keep going, drop her back in and let her be! Make sure you check on it every day and when you notice no more growth, take it out - it's all it's going to get!

Sealing the crystal (optional):

I prefer to seal mine just in case it gets spilled on and to preserve it for longer life.

The crystals will last a VERY long time if you leave it be in a dry area, but if you're worried just paint on some clear nail polish or spray down with a crystal clear topcoat in a spray can and you're all done!

What else have you used to grow your own crystals?





~*~


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