This is always one of the coolest projects to do- making crystallized ornaments out of borax and pipe cleaners! For a fun Fall/Halloween edition, we turned our pipe cleaners into ghosts, pumpkins, and spiders.
What kind of spooky or non-spooky ornament will you make? Tag me @playinquiremakelearn, I’d love to see your Halloween projects and feature them in my stories!
Now, let’s get on with our experiment!
Supplies needed:
-Borax (please wear gloves when handling and wash hands if exposed to skin, do not breathe in)
-Pipe Cleaners
-Water
-Twine
-Measuring Cup (dry and liquid)
-Large Glass/Cup/Jar
-Pencil
-Pot
-Spoon
-Gloves
Directions:
1-Design your pipe cleaner into a shape or twirl.
2- Suspend your pipe cleaner from a piece of twine attached to a pencil. Ensure it does not touch the bottom or sides of the glass. Set aside.
3-Measure 4 cups of water and pour into a pot. Heat until hot. (This is a crucial step.)
4-Measure and add in 1 cup of borax to the hot water. *Adult Helper required for this part*. Stir until dissolved.
5- Carefully pour the borax/water mixture into the glass.
6- Carefully suspend your pipe cleaner into the borax/water.
7- Leave for several hours or overnight. (As the water cools, the crystals start to form.)
8- Remove from the glass.
9- Let dry on a paper towel. Admire your work!
Simple Explanation:
When the hot water and borax solution cools, it allows the water molecules to join again. This leaves the borax to attach to the pipe cleaner, forming crystals.
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*Adult Supervision Is Required For All Activities*