![]() (That’s an affiliate link, so if you buy it I get a small commission which helps support the site.) But if you want a challenge, you don’t actually need to buy a kit. Make your own crystal growing Christmas tree What makes them green is simply dye! The tips of the tree branches contain green dye, which the crystal picks up on the way out. They’re just plain white, just like most other salt crystals (including regular table salt). Potassium phosphate crystals are not naturally green. The water evaporated more quickly than it did in a cold room. ![]() This is why my tree grew faster when I turned the heating on. Because it was a very saturated solution to begin with, it was full of salt ions ready to form crystals as soon as the water disappeared, and they all end up on the tree. Where the water evaporates, the solid crystals stay behind on the tree. This happens much more easily from the edges of the cardboard than from the dish (or even from the middle of the tree). To get crystals to form, the water needs to evaporate. The cardboard tree gradually absorbs the liquid from the dish below through capillary action. I don’t have the equipment to analyse what’s in the crystal growing solution, but a few years ago the blog of a spectroscopy company got a hold of the same kit – and did an analysis of the crystals! They found potassium phosphate crystals. (This reminds me of that time I tried to figure out the ingredients of Kracie Popin Cookin Sushi!) The company that sells the trees says it’s a “magic solution”, but it’s most certainly not. The kit comes with a little plastic bag of what looks like water. What is this sorcery? Don’t worry, it’s just physics and chemistry in action. The next morning, the tree looked like this! This is a time-lapse of the first nine hours, reduced to half a minute. It took a very long time for anything to happen, but once I turned the heating on in the house, it sped up a little bit. I set it up on a day where I was home to check in on it every once in a while, and I also set a time-lapse to record what was happening.Īfter assembling the kit, and pouring the solution that came with it in the petri dish, I waited. This is a good time to add some mica powder.Remember the science-themed Christmas cards and decorations from a few weeks ago? After I posted that, I happened to get one of the items as a present: the crystal growing Christmas tree! Up next are leaves, and small shiny beads. To make the tree greenery, I got 4 lumps of green clay, then textured it the same way I textured the grass. The brush comes with a tool kit, but any brush with stiff bristles will do the job.Īfter, I like to put a large crystal bead in the center and roll a few long noodles to make into the tree bark.īegin wrapping the noodles around the wire, making roots with the other end.Ĭover the wire, and then flatten the clay a little bit. I like to texture the glass with a brush. Next I put clay around the top of the crystal. Next, I like to make a little stand out of clay for the tree. I twist the branches back around the tree. The center piece will make the loop to hang up the tree. If you are using several crystals, put them together through multiple crystals.įold each one and twist them again. Here are the supplies in a photo: Making Magical Clay Treeįirst, put two wires through the whole in the bead. Finally, a basic set of clay tools is also super helpful. ![]() Also, mica powder is awesome finishing touch. Other shiny little odds and ends are helpful. It has to be beads, not just crystals! The drilled hole makes it so much easier. I have found some in Michaels before, though not lately, and will look for them in every craft store. The most important thing is tower crystal beads. You would also need thin wire, I used floral wire for that. I found that the clay is cheapest on Blick Art supplies. ***This post contains affiliate links.*** I am going to take it step by step, but first, here is a list of supplies: They were, hmm, a bit flat.Īfter a few trial and error moments, here are my trees: In fact, here is the first tree that I have made. This tree certainly came with it’s own issues. Working with clay, just like many other mediums, involves a lot of fun problem solving. As a matter of fact I do it quite often, and love to share with others how to do it. It is not my first time playing with polymer clay. ![]()
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