Okay, so I saw this cool crystallized Christmas tree thing online and thought, “I gotta try that!” It looked pretty simple, and who doesn’t love a bit of sparkle during the holidays? So I gathered some materials, I mean, I literally just grabbed what I happened to find around.
Getting Started
First, I needed a base, and for a christmas tree shape. I grabbed a bigger paper sheet from my daughter’s painting supplies and cutted them into cone shape, just rolled it up and taped it together. Nothing fancy, just something to hold the shape.
- Some random paper sheet
- Scissors
- Tape
Making the Magic Potion
Now for the fun part – the Borax solution! I boiled some water, I just eyeballed it, enough to fill a jar I found. Then, I started dumping in Borax. Seriously, I just kept adding it and stirring until it wouldn’t dissolve anymore. It got all cloudy and thick, that’s how I knew it was ready. Kind a magic potion.
- Borax (found it in the laundry aisle)
- Boiling water
- A jar or container (I used an old pickle jar)
- Something to stir with (a spoon, a stick, whatever)
The Waiting Game
I placed the paper tree I prepared into the jar, making sure the top part of the tree can hold up, it won’t be too heavy, after the experiment, I do not want to make it too heavy, I decided to cut it shorter. And then I just poured the Borax solution over it, completely covering the paper tree. Then came the hardest part: waiting! I left it overnight, trying not to peek too much. It’s like waiting for cookies to bake, you know?
The Big Reveal!
The next morning, I pulled out the tree, and wow! It was covered in crystals! They were all sparkly and white, like a little winter wonderland. I let it dry completely, which took a few hours. I put it on a plate and added a little star on top, because, why not? It looks so much better with some small decoration like that!
I was super proud of that experiment. I placed it in the living room, my daughter saw that and she screamed with joy, jumping around the tree and asking “Dad did you make this?”.
I think I made the little girl’s day, and night.
Honestly, it was way easier than I expected. And the result? Totally worth it! It’s a fun little project, and it adds a unique touch to the Christmas decorations. Plus, it’s a cool way to learn a bit about crystals, right? I’d definitely do this again, maybe even try different colors next time!
