Borax crystals

Using this link my friend/partner in crime/neighbor are trying to do a science segment to our off and on homeschooling of our daughters. If I can remember tomorrow I will update my blog with our results. The problem is that I had to substitute a few of the items requested. I did not have wide mouth pint jars or pipe cleaners. But we did not make snowflakes either - hopefully using old jelly jars and string will have at least some of the desired results. Keeping our fingers crossed.

All lined up in a row and counting down the hours.












It's working! Close up of the growing crystals.












In case the link doesn't work here's the article:

How To Grow a Borax Snowflake
From Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.,Your Guide to Chemistry.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Do real snowflakes melt too quickly? Grow a borax snowflake, color it blue if you like, and enjoy the sparkle all year long!

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Overnight
Here's How:

1. Cut a pipe cleaner into three equal sections.

2. Twist the sections together at their centers to form a six-sided snowflake shape. Don't worry if an end isn't even, just trim to get the desired shape. The snowflake should fit inside the jar.

3. Tie the string to the end of one of the snowflake arms.

4.Tie the other end of the string to the pencil. You want the length to be such that the pencil hangs the snowflake into the jar.

5. Fill the widemouth pint jar with boiling water.

6. Add borax one tablespoon at a time to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve after each addition. The amount used is 3 tablespoons borax per cup of water. It is okay if some undissolved borax settles to the bottom of the jar.

7. If desired, you may tint the mixture with food color.

8. Hang the pipe cleaner snowflake into the jar so that the pencil rests on top of the jar and the snowflake is completely covered with liquid and hangs freely (not touching the bottom of the jar).

9. Allow the jar to sit in an undisturbed location overnight.

Look at the pretty crystals!!! You can hang your snowflake as a decoration or in a window to catch the sunlight :-)

Tips:
Borax is available at grocery stores in the laundry soap section, such as 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster. Do not use Boraxo soap.
Because boiling water is used and because borax isn't intended for eating, adult supervision is recommended for this project.
If you can't find borax, you can use sugar or salt (may take longer to grow the crystals, so be patient). Add sugar or salt to the boiling water until it stops dissolving. Ideally you want no crystals at the bottom of the jar.

What You Need:
string
wide mouth jar (pint)
white pipe cleaners
borax (see tips)
pencil
boiling water
blue food coloring (opt.)
scissors