How too: Grow your own Snowflakes

This is something we did in Science class this year thought you might have fun doing it too.
supplies

• borax
• pipe cleaners
• boiling water
• food coloring
• container to hold solution
• string
  

Grow your very own pretty snowflakes for your windows. The kids will enjoy this and think it so cool plus they get a little science lesson out of it too, show your children how crystals grow.

Its glittering crystals form when the pipe-cleaner snowflake form is submerged into a solution made of borax dissolved in boiling water with food coloring. As the water cools, the borax forms crystals that attach to the fuzzy hairs of the pipe-cleaners.

Grow your own Snowflake

How-To

1. Twist three 5-inch pieces of pipe cleaner together to form a snowflake you can make them longer for a bigger flake but it means more solution and a bigger container to hold it in
2. then add a 1 1/2-inch piece to each point: if making a larger flake make lots of these spikes coming off of the main points remember snow flakes are symmetrical
   
3. Tie the flake with the string to the stick ideas for stick Popsicle or pencil or just a twig off of the tree outside preferably one that fell on its own so you don't hurt the tree
4. A big enough container a glass jar is best then suspended flake so that it doesn't touch the sides of the container
5. Add to jar: 3 tablespoons borax and 1 drop blue food coloring ) or what ever color you like) per 1 cup of boiling water
6. Hang the snowflake in the jar. Let sit overnight or longer; if you let sit longer you will need to make the solution again each day and place it in a new container to cool then add the snowflake if you put the snow flake into the boiling water your previously made crystals will dissolve in the hot solution. So just wait for the new solution to cool before adding your snowflake to the new container
7. remove and hang in window and enjoy