Crystal growing experiment

We at the Krause house, decided to grow a simple crystal tree for Christmas. Our tree did grow crystals, however the base was not as sturdy as we'd like and tilted to one side once the cardboard got soggy. Also the Crystals never made it all the way to the top. From there Hayden, Brock, and I embarked on a mission to devise a base for our crystal tree that would not only stand up to the soggy solution and weight of the crystals but also grow to cover the whole structure. This is how our homeschooling adventure played out.

We started with a tree form cut out of cardboard from a cereal box and the solution.

- Solution:

1 TBSP ammonia

2 TBSP table salt

2 TBSP Mrs. Stewart's Bluing

We placed the base in a bowl and poured the solution in. Then we wait, Crystal growth was seen in just over an hour. The first picture was taken after several hours and the next shortly before our second attempt.

For our next try, Hayden suggested a paper towel roll. He felt the material would be thick enough to hold up even when saturate with the solution. I felt that straight and relatively smooth sides would pose a problem with the crystals growing all the way up. As most boys his age, Hayden opted to try it his way. The pictures that follow are from the first stages until we scrapped that attempt. Hayden was correct about the ability of the roll to remain stable but he did learn that gravity works as well. His crystals could only go so high before falling to the bottom of the bowl since they had little to hold them up.

On our third and final attempt we discussed the issues with our previous crystal bases and came up with a better design. Hayden and I , made a cone from a cardboard insert from a package of tee shirts and then we hot glued pipe cleaners to that. This would give us a more stable base with the cone shape and the pipe cleaners would give the crystals more support in an effort to prevent falling crystals. I know this would have been an obvious first choice for an adult, but it was amazing to see my kiddos "get" it. What joy! The pictures below are proof of or success in holiday crystal making architecture.