Last Updated on February 11, 2023 by ellen
If you’re looking for Borax crafts to do with the kids, making Borax crystal flowers is the perfect science craft. I always enjoyed educational crafts when the kids were little. It’s a fun way to get them interested in learning without making it seem like schoolwork.
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Table of Contents
Borax Crafts
Borax is also known as sodium borate. They are soft, colorless crystals that dissolve in water. It’s an alkaline mineral powder that is also known as laundry washing powder. You should be able to find it in the laundry section of your grocery store. Or you can buy it here.
What can you make out of Borax?
There are a lot of different crafts you can make out of borax including these Borax crystal flowers. You might also want to try Borax bouncy balls or you could make silly putty. This book has lots of different Borax slime recipes that you can make using Borax.
Why does Borax make crystals?
If you’re wondering why these Borax crafts make crystals, let me explain. Crystals are formed when the liquid that contains Borax cools. Water molecules move closer together as the water cools and this forms crystals.
Do crystals grow better in light or dark?
While you’re waiting for your crystals to grow, make sure you keep them somewhere light rather than in a dark cupboard. Crystals will grow much better with light than in the dark.
How to make Borax crystals
If you want to make Borax crafts that result in crystals, you can make these Borax crystal flowers. The Borax crystals grow on pipe cleaners that have been shaped into a flower shape. Finally, scroll to the end for a printable copy of this craft.
Supplies needed:
You will need these supplies to make this craft.
- pipe cleaners in red and green
- scissors
- pencil
- Borax powder
- water
- spoon
- large pot
- glass jar
- extra pipe cleaners or string
How to make Borax crystal flowers
This is one of the easy Borax crafts I’ve seen. Follow these directions.
- Create the flower bloom shape from your pipe cleaners. We folded our pipe cleaners into rounded loop shapes and joined them in the center to get this look. We then created leaf shapes by creating longer ovals with our green pipe cleaners.
- Bring two cups of tap water to a boil.
- You can now add the Borax powder. Add 1/4 cup of Borax for every 2 cups of hot water you prepare.
- Stir the Borax powder until it dissolves. Make sure it dissolves completely. This will take around 30 seconds or less.
- Tie a string or additional pipe cleaner (which is what we used) to the flower and leaf shapes. Tie the opposite end to a pencil. Just coil it around.
- Place the pencil over the top of the jar so the flower and leaf shapes drop down into the solution.
- Fill the jar with the Borax and water solution. Make sure you submerge the flower and leaf shapes.
- Allow the shapes to sit for 24 hours. You will notice the crystals forming after a few hours, and they will be completely formed after 24 hours.
- Remove the pencil from the jar. Snip away the string or pipe cleaner you used for hanging.
- Allow the crystallized flowers to rest on a paper towel to dry.
Here is a printable copy of this Borax craft so you can make your own Borax crystal flowers.
Related reading
- Making homemade playdough with crayons
- STEM learning activities
- Make homemade liquid hand soap
- Things to do with rubber bands
- Koolaid Lollipops
Borax Crafts: Making Borax Crystal Flowers
Love Borax crafts? Make these Borax crystal flowers.
Materials
- pipe cleaners in red and green
- scissors
- pencil
- Borax powder
- water
- spoon
- large pot
- glass jar
- extra pipe cleaners or string
Tools
- scissors
Instructions
- Create the flower bloom shape from your pipe cleaners. We folded our pipe cleaners into rounded loop shapes and joined them in the center to get this look. We then created leaf shapes by creating longer ovals with our green pipe cleaners.
- Bring two cups of tap water to a boil.
- You can now add the Borax powder. Add 1/4 cup of Borax for every 2 cups of hot water you prepare.
- Stir the Borax powder until it dissolves. Make sure it dissolves completely. This will take around 30 seconds or less.
- Tie a string or additional pipe cleaner (which is what we used) to the flower and leaf shapes. Tie the opposite end to a pencil. Just coil it around.
- Place the pencil over the top of the jar so the flower and leaf shapes drop down into the solution.
- Fill the jar with the Borax and water solution. Make sure you submerge the flower and leaf shapes.
- Allow the shapes to sit for 24 hours. You will notice the crystals forming after a few hours, and they will be completely formed after 24 hours.
- Remove the pencil from the jar. Snip away the string or pipe cleaner you used for hanging.
- Allow the crystallized flowers to rest on a paper towel to dry.
Ellen is a mom of a 25-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter. She is Grandma to one adorable toddler. In what little spare time she has, she loves to read, watch movies, and check out the latest toys and games.