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How To Grow a Borax Snowflake
Borax crystals are safe and easy to grow.

Do real snowflakes melt too quickly? Grow a borax snowflake, color it blue if you like, and enjoy the sparkle all year long!
Time Required: Overnight
Adult supervision recommended


Tips:
1. Borax is available at grocery stores in the laundry soap
section. Do not use Boraxo soap.
2. Because boiling water is used and because borax isn't
intended for eating, adult supervision is recommended
for this project.
3. 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 (optional)
• Scissors


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. 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.
4. Fill the widemouth pint jar with boiling water.
5. 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.
6. If desired, you may tint the mixture with food color.
7. 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).
8. Allow the jar to sit in an undisturbed location overnight.
9. Look at the pretty crystals!!! You can hang your snowflake as a
decoration or in a window to catch the sunlight.