I’ve been wanting to check out this Pinterest project since I first joined. I was intimidated by it.
But I shouldn’t have been.
This one is pretty easy, takes just overnight, requires stuff I already have, and is AWESOME.
In fact, we may do these as Christmas Ornaments next year. They’re a little heavy, but really neat.
Here’s what you need:
- Borax household cleaner. (It is sold at pretty much any store. I got mine at Target.)
- Pipe cleaners. Preferably white.
- A wide mouthed jar.
- String.
- A pencil or a wooden stick. (We used a paintbrush)
- Boiling water. (We used purified water. I’m not sure that it made a difference at all.)
- Food coloring as a festive option.
Getting Started
Twist your pipe cleaners into whatever shapes you’d like. Snowflakes are the most popular, but now there are hearts, letters (spell your kids names!) or any other shapes.
Tie your string to the pipe cleaner. Make sure to measure so that your pipe cleaner will be completely submerged in water once you boil it! Then tie the other end of the string to your stick/pencil/paintbrush.
Pour the boiling water into the jar. Then add the Borax. There should be three tablespoons of Borax for each cup of water in the jar. Make sure to add enough water to completely submerge the snowflake. Stir the mixture until the borax has dissolved. (We actually had a little that didn’t dissolve and it worked fine) Be careful, the water is very hot. Food coloring can be added at this time. Use 5+ drops of food coloring per cup of water.
Now it’s time to lower the shape into the water. Rest your stick on the edge of the jar so the shape sits freely in the borax mixture, making sure that it is completely submerged.
Leave the snowflake to sit for 8 – 12 hours, until the pipe cleaner is fully covered in crystals. Remove it from the mixture, and let it dry completely.
About.com video of this project here.