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March 1, 2011

Shamrock Crystals

How to make Borax Crystals

This is something you HAVE to try!  The end result is amazing and they sparkle beautifully in the sun.  I have seen a number of blogs around Christmas time that use borax crystals as ornaments, but we are now March and I am just getting around to making them so we made Shamrocks.  I am tempted to make shapes for every season!

Borax Shamrock Crystals ~ Easy St Patrick's Day science experiment

This Post contains affiliate links for your convenience

How to make Shamrock Crystals

  • Borax
  • boiling water
  • a wide mouth glass mason jar
  • green and white pipe cleaners
  • string
  • a pencil
  • food coloring.

Borax can be found in the laundry isle.  It is natural, but that does not mean it is safe.  Borax should not me inhaled or ingested, so be careful.

Borax Crystals ~ Easy science experiment

Instructions for making the crystals

First, twist  your pipe cleaner into the desired shape.  I set out a few templates of shamrocks (printed off the internet) for the kids to look at.

You will need 3 cups of boiling water per mason jar, 1/2 cup of Borax for each jar.  The more saturated your solution is, the larger your crystals will be.  Stir until all the borax is dissolved and the solution is clear, add food coloring if you desire.

Borax Crystals ~ Easy Saint Patrick's Day science experiment

Tie a string around the tail of the shamrock and tie the other end to a pencil.   Gently lower the shamrock into the solution making sure that it is not touching any sides or the bottom.  Set the jar in a safe spot that will not be disturbed.  We let ours sit overnight and the kids were amazed to find the pipe cleaners were transformed into crystal-encrusted decorations.  Gently cut off the string and display in your window.

Borax Shamrock Crystals ~ Easy Saint Patrick's Day science experiment

Shamrock Crystal Sun Catcher

These crystals are so simple to make.  Kaleb loves to experiment so this was the perfect project for him.  I loved that he added his twist on the experiment by coloring one pipe cleaner with markers to see what would happen.  Next time I will encourage him to use sharpies instead of washable markers.

Borax Shamrock Crystals ~ Easy Saint Patrick's Day science experiment

St. Patrick’s Day Craft

These shamrock crystals were so easy to make.  I am not convinced that the food coloring changed the crystal color by much.  The color that you see is the pipe cleaner showing through.  I love them and the sparkle beautifully in the sun.  These would be fun to make with the kids and give as gifts for grandparents, teachers, neighbors and anyone special.  Just change the shape of the pipe cleaner to suit the occasion.

Borax Shamrock Crystals ~ Easy Saint Patrick's Day science experiment

Looking for more St Patrick’s Day Crafts?  Check out our

Stained Glass Shamrocks

Glitter Shamrocks

Rainbow Q-tip Painting

Shamrock Cookie Cutter Stamping

Racing Balloon Leprechauns

Shamrock Sprouts

Credit Card Art

Related posts:

  1. Easter Borax Crystals
  2. Shamrock Sprouts
  3. Glitter Shamrock
  4. Stained Glass Shamrock Craft
Posted in Experiments, Holidays and tagged Concoctions, Experiments, Kid Projects, St. Patrick's Day, Window Art.

Welcome to Housing A Forest!
I would love for you to grab a cup of coffee and stay a while. You can read more about us or catch up on our favorite experiments, projects + art activities.

Related posts:

  1. Easter Borax Crystals
  2. Shamrock Sprouts
  3. Glitter Shamrock
  4. Stained Glass Shamrock Craft
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50 thoughts on “Shamrock Crystals”

  1. Grandma on March 1, 2011 at 5:04 pm said:

    Beautiful!!!! We are -34 this morning!!!! but sunny….it’s sparkly outside because it is so cold.Brrrrrrrr!

    Reply ↓
  2. Rachel on March 2, 2011 at 5:46 am said:

    How clever!!! I want to try this one with my kids. I would never have thought to try to make a clover shape.
    Love to have you stop by my blog… I have lots of ideas your kids will love. http://sunscholars.blogspot.com

    Reply ↓
  3. Rachel on March 2, 2011 at 5:50 am said:

    I am adding your activity to my St. Patty’s Day inspirations…. Thanks for such a fun idea!

    http://sunscholars.blogspot.com/2011/02/st-patricks-day-inspirations.html

    Reply ↓
  4. sharla on March 3, 2011 at 11:08 pm said:

    LOve this idea!! Can’t wait to do it with my kids 🙂 THANKS!!!

    Reply ↓
  5. Laurel on March 3, 2011 at 11:29 pm said:

    Those are a fun craft! I’d love for you to submit this to the M&T Spotlight at http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight

    Reply ↓
  6. Rachel on March 4, 2011 at 7:57 pm said:

    Love to have you link up to my new link party, For the Kids Fridays!
    http://sunscholars.blogspot.com
    :)rachel

    Reply ↓
  7. Rachel on March 5, 2011 at 4:19 pm said:

    We’ve made these twice this week now, and the kids are loving it!!! So much faster that using sugar, as we’ve done in the past.

    Thanks again for linking up!

    Reply ↓
  8. Emily on March 5, 2011 at 7:31 pm said:

    These are beautiful. I will have to get some Borax and try it out. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply ↓
  9. Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree on March 9, 2011 at 5:02 pm said:

    Wow! So far I love your blog! Great ideas! I love the shamrock crystal! I will be sharing this on fb!

    Reply ↓
  10. Tanya H. on March 10, 2011 at 2:42 am said:

    My boys love Borax crystals (and Borax slime…have you tried that out yet? Super fun!). We made some really cute ‘crystal’ Christmas ornaments in December — truly an all-season craft!

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on March 10, 2011 at 2:58 am said:

      My kids love borax slime as well. I love how the shamrock crystals sparkle in my kitchen window. So fun!

      Reply ↓
  11. Rachel on March 11, 2011 at 3:15 am said:

    I’ve featured you this week at the Sun Scholars For the Kids Friday Link Party! Make sure to stop by and grab a button. Love to have you link up again this week!! 🙂

    Reply ↓
  12. cheri on March 11, 2011 at 6:33 pm said:

    Fantastic! I am already dreaming of what other shapes we could do:) I added your project to my blog list today.
    http://wifemomwoman.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/st-patricks-day-crafts-for-kids/

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on March 11, 2011 at 6:38 pm said:

      This of one of my favorite crafts we have done so far. They look beautiful sparkling in my kitchen window. Thanks!

      Reply ↓
  13. Maryann Caballero on March 15, 2011 at 4:20 pm said:

    What a great idea… we’re always made the snowflakes at Christmas, but you could definitely make this for every fun holiday! Thanks for linking up to The Countdown to Spring Party!

    Reply ↓
  14. Alicia on March 15, 2011 at 7:31 pm said:

    This is the perfect project for my kids on St. Patrick’s Day at the Youth Centre! YAY!!!

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on March 15, 2011 at 9:01 pm said:

      I would love to see how they turn out!

      Reply ↓
  15. Pingback: Easter Crystals | Housing a Forest

  16. Ashley on July 27, 2011 at 4:32 pm said:

    Thank you for this activity! We did it and made a heart and a frog head. My daughter loved it and I will definately be doing this again. She has already made little beach balls, chicks like yours and much more!

    Reply ↓
  17. Mary on October 28, 2011 at 1:28 pm said:

    WOW! That will make nice Christmas deco 😉 THANKS FOR SHARING !

    Reply ↓
  18. Sloan on January 3, 2012 at 1:42 pm said:

    Hi! Thanks for sharing. I made these with my 5 year old yesterday! turned out perfectly. We did a shamrock, a heart, and a snowman. =) Thanks for sharing!

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on January 3, 2012 at 6:43 pm said:

      I’m glad you enjoyed them! My kiddos are always excited to see the crystals “magically” appear.

      Reply ↓
  19. Abby on March 5, 2012 at 10:37 pm said:

    Aloha! I love your idea of crystallized shamrocks, and I was wondering if I could have permission to use your pictures in an article I’m writing for my school paper, The Ke Alakai’i. Please let me know, Thank you!
    – Abby
    alb249@go.byuh.edu

    Reply ↓
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  21. Tami on March 8, 2012 at 1:36 am said:

    Just stopping by to let you know that I’ve featured your craft on Family Fun Crafts! You can see it here:
    http://funfamilycrafts.com/shamrock-crystals/

    If you have other kid friendly crafts, I’d love it if you would submit them. 🙂 If you would like to display a
    featured button on your site, you can grab one from the right side bar of your post above.

    Reply ↓
  22. Carol on March 9, 2012 at 2:02 pm said:

    Thank you for a wonderful activity!!! Tried these last night…worked great! However, I had some crystals left in the bottom of jar and not sure how to get them out.

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on March 9, 2012 at 4:51 pm said:

      Glad you enjoyed making the shamrock crystals. We always have crystals in the bottom of our jars too once the pipe cleaners are crystallized. To clean the jar, simply run it under hot water and the crystals will dissolve.

      Reply ↓
  23. Elizabeth on March 13, 2012 at 2:14 am said:

    I’m doing a little “pre-experiment” experiment with this before I try it with my students. I am using the widest jars I could find, but I’m a little anxious because the shamrocks still touch the sides of the jar. Hopefully that won’t cause too much of a problem! Once I see how my experiments turn out, I’ll modify it if I need to and try it out with my class. They’ll love it!

    Reply ↓
  24. DeeDee on March 14, 2012 at 10:14 am said:

    can solution be reused the next day?

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on March 14, 2012 at 11:49 am said:

      I have not tried doing that, but I would imagine that you would have to reheat the solution. I’d love to hear how it goes.

      Reply ↓
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  26. Mary Jane tharpe on March 19, 2012 at 4:41 pm said:

    My gifted and advanced fifth grade class made these for St. Paddy’s Day and they thought it was the coolest thing ever. Teachers in my school have requested the “recipe”, and I want to thank you for inspiring me and other teachers in my school to go above and beyond.

    Reply ↓
  27. Katherine on March 22, 2012 at 10:14 am said:

    This project looks so fun! I’m the room mom for my daughter’s class & I would love to do this with them for Easter! There are 19 of them and I was wondering if this could be done in large plastic cups? Or should I stick with glass? Trying to keep this low budget! I don’t know what we would do with all those extra jars! Thanks!!

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on March 23, 2012 at 1:02 pm said:

      My sister-in-law did it with her preschool class in an ice cream bucket and it worked great. She was able to do about 3-4 pipe cleaner creations per bucket, you will need to at least triple the solution. hope this helps.

      Reply ↓
      • Katherine on March 23, 2012 at 1:37 pm said:

        Thanks Tammy! I didn’t even think to do a larger container for multiple ones! Much appreciated!

        Reply ↓
  28. Kenna on June 25, 2012 at 3:32 pm said:

    I’m thinking red, white & blue stars for July 4th… Can’t wait to do this with my boys 🙂

    Reply ↓
  29. Debbie on July 31, 2012 at 7:36 am said:

    I have tried this 3 times, following the instructions to the tee and they have not worked out at all. Could you please try to tell me what I might be doing wrong. Do they have to sit in the sun? Does it matter what color the pipe cleaners are? Help!!!!!

    Reply ↓
    • Tammy on July 31, 2012 at 7:47 am said:

      I had similar trouble once. Only a few crystals appeared no matter how long I left the pipe cleaners in the solution. This is what I did, I poured the solution into a pot and reheated it to boiling again. Added it back to the same jar. I had crystals on the bottom of the jar, but don’t worry they will dissolve. Then I added more Borax to the solution. I can’t remember how much, but I just kept adding until it was a super saturated solution and no more borax would dissolve. I used the same pipe cleaner creations they were too cute to throw away. The crystals on the pipe cleaners will dissolve as well. Type of pipe cleaner you are using should not matter. Let me know if this works.

      Reply ↓
  30. Jessica on November 29, 2012 at 7:57 pm said:

    What a great idea. I bought the borax and am ready to give it a try with my 4 year old son, but I do not have any mason jars. Do I have to use glass containers or anything that can hold hot liquid and is wide mouthed? I was considering using some of the many glass vases that I have that never get flowers put in them. Thanks fo your help!

    Reply ↓
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  33. Regina on March 6, 2013 at 11:07 am said:

    Doing this tonight with my wed night church kiddos. Putting my twist in we are making crosses and easter eggs 🙂

    Reply ↓
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  36. Mary on March 28, 2013 at 10:17 pm said:

    I want to try this. How long does it take for the crystals to form? Thanks!

    Reply ↓
  37. Pingback: 20+ Pipe Cleaner Crafts and Activities | Mommy Blogs @ JustMommies

  38. Alyia sur on March 10, 2014 at 9:17 pm said:

    What a lovely idea .I can’t wait to do this did with my daughter . We will buy material tomorrow. I hope she can bring back to school by thursday

    Reply ↓
  39. juliana on March 19, 2014 at 9:44 am said:

    hola! quería saber con que otro material se puede hacer este experimento,ademas de con limpiadores de pipa,(como por ejemplo lana,alambre, tela,etc.)ya que en donde yo vivo no se consiguen limpiadores de pipa.muchas gracias

    Reply ↓
  40. Tash @ Mamas Done Good on January 20, 2015 at 7:58 am said:

    Love this idea. I have used it in a round up of spring activities on my blog, I hope that’s OK 😀

    Reply ↓
  41. Wendy on February 12, 2016 at 2:37 pm said:

    This looks awesome!!!

    Reply ↓

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