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Recipe

Crystal Growing Art

Transform simple pipe cleaner shapes into sparkling decorations through the fascinating process of crystallization with borax and hot water.
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Prep 15 minutes
Total 12 hours
serves < Tap or hover to scale

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Materials

Materials for Crystal Art

  • 1 bunch Pipe cleaners Use different colors and shapes.
  • 3 tablespoons Borax Dissolve in hot water.
  • 1 cup Hot water Water should be very hot for effective dissolution.
  • 1 jar Jar For suspending your shapes.
  • 1 few drops Food coloring Optional, for tinting crystals.
  • 1 pencil Pencil To suspend the pipe cleaners.
  • 1 length String To tie the pipe cleaners for suspension.

Instructions

Preparation

  • Bend the pipe cleaners into fun shapes like stars or hearts.
  • In a jar, dissolve borax in very hot water, about three tablespoons for each cup.
  • Add food coloring if desired to tint the crystals.
  • Suspend the shapes in the solution using string tied to a pencil across the jar.
  • Ensure the pipe cleaner does not touch the bottom or sides of the jar.
  • Leave the setup overnight.

Finishing

  • After a night, remove your creations and let them dry.
  • Display them in a lovely jar or in sunlight for the best visual effect.

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Tips & Notes:

Crystals typically form within a few hours but become pronounced overnight. Supervision is needed when kids participate. For a cleaner finish, allow crystals to dry completely.

Nutrition Information: Serving: | Calories: | Carbohydrates: | Protein: | Fat: | Sodium: | Fiber: | Sugar:

Author: Course: Cuisine: Keyword: Crafting, Crystal Art, Crystallization, DIY Projects, Family activities

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and calculated automatically. Values can vary depending on the brands and ingredients you use, so if you’re tracking closely, I recommend calculating with your own preferred tool.

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