You can grow a sparkly, crystal-covered snowflake by soaking a pipe cleaner shape in a hot borax solution overnight. An adult needs to handle the boiling water and the borax.
This project works well any time of year, not just in winter, and pairs nicely with our science section if you want to talk about how crystals form. For more holiday craft ideas, see our crafts page.
What you need
- A large, wide-mouthed jar
- White pipe cleaners
- White yarn or string
- A pencil
- Boiling water (adult only)
- Borax, found in the laundry aisle
- Food coloring (optional)
Steps
- Cut a pipe cleaner into three equal pieces and twist them together in the middle so six spokes fan out.
- Tie a piece of yarn to the end of one spoke and wind it across each spoke in turn to build up a snowflake shape.
- Measure how many cups of water the jar holds, then have an adult refill it with that much boiling water.
- An adult stirs in about 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of water until most of it dissolves.
- Tie a string to the top of the pipe cleaner snowflake and lower it into the jar, resting the string over a pencil laid across the jar’s mouth so the snowflake hangs fully submerged.
- Let the jar sit undisturbed for 24 hours, then lift out the snowflake and let it dry. It should be covered in shiny crystals.
Safety
Borax is a household chemical, not a toy, so an adult should measure it, mix the solution, and handle the boiling water. Keep the solution and the borax box out of reach of young children, wash hands after handling it, and do not let kids taste the crystals. Poison Control notes borax and boric acid products should be kept “out of the reach of children and pets” and handled with care, per Poison Control: Borates, borax, and boric acid.
Once the snowflake dries, try a second batch in a different color and compare crystal size, or check out other winter projects on our crafts page.