I got mine from Bunnings

We haven’t done snowflakes this way but I know lots of people who have. Go for it!

Thanks for the help! Did you use pipe cleaners for snowflakes?

Give it a try, Brandy! I’ll bet they’d look great!

On that note, I wonder how it would look if you sprayed just a touch of fake snow on them when they dry.

Give the US time. We will outlaw it here too. Lol I use it in my laundry and love it!

I’ve heard you can order it from here, Vicky: http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk

See my answer to your other question, Stacey.

You need a container that can stand high heat because your water has to be hot enough to dissolve the borax. We used freshly boiled kettle water to start our experiment.

Thank you for posting this. I was thinking of getting clear SOLO cups to use so my students could see the progression.

I’ve never used salt for this experiment, Rachel. You could try googling it though.

What’s the ratio of pickling salt to water if I choose to do this instead!

I’ve heard you can reheat the solution and use it again, Sue. It does need to be hot though.

Here you go, Carla. I just googled “What is the science behind Borax crystals”. What would we do without Google?! https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/magic-crystal-snowflake/

Can you tell me the science behind this experiment so I can explain what is happening and why this works to my kids?

Fantastic info, Sheryl. Thank you for sharing!

Many natural substances, such as those found in shrubs and flowers, are toxic. Hemlock is a good example. Some, like foxglove, can be used in medicine to treat or misused to harm. All materials should be properly handled and children need to learn this. Chlorine is a good example of something that is toxic, but is put in pools, laundry, and our drinking water. Hope this helps. I’m just a Grandma educator now.

oops that was supposed to say but not ‘bit’!

I don’t believe liquid starch will use for this experiment, Christine.

Yes, just run very hot water over them. I cleaned my jars out in the sink this way. They lifted right off with a knife after soaking.

Was the pipe cleaner touching the side or bottom of the jar, Sheila? Was your borax completely dissolved and the solution absolutely clear? If the answer is “no” to either of those questions, that might be why it didn’t work for you. Did any crystals form anywhere? There should have been some on the side/bottom of the jar as well.

I made these with my son more than 15 years & they are still in good condition. We hang them on our tree every year 🙂

Boric acid is completely different, and highly toxic. I would not recommend using it for any craft activity.

If anyone is still confused.. Read this article!! Thx for posting.. I was getting so sick of telling people that it is fine to use in projects with kids.. I’m not endangering my children!! Lol

You will have to buy it from the internet as they don’t stock it in hardware shops any more (just borax substitutes which doesn’t work as I found out!)

Yay! Have fun!

Mine didn’t crumble at all, Rose. I don’t know how long they took to dry. I just set the on the counter for a while, and when I came back they were good to go.

Yes, our chenille pipe cleaners produced a solid coating of crystals as well, Elly.

A UK blogging friend orders it from this website, Kitt: https://www.soapkitchenonline.co.uk/acatalog/Solids_and_Powders.html. You could see if they’ll ship to you?

Yes, just reheat it and stir until the crystals completely dissolve again, Sherra.

mildly toxic and a mild irritant are two completely different things

The only reason I can think of is that the borax wasn’t dissolved enough. If there are still particles in the water, they’ll fall to the bottom of the jar. If they’re well dissolved, they’ll cling to the pipe cleaner because they’re suspended in the liquid. Did you stir it until it was absolutely crystal clear. It must be perfectly clear. No cloudiness at all.

When you say you let it sit, so you mean you let it sit and cool before adding the pipe cleaners? Your pipe cleaners need to go into the piping hot liquid.

One of my favourite articles about Borax. Thanks, Erik!

I’ve heard folks say you can get it at Coles.

No, you can totally use the chenille ones. I’m just not sure if you’ll get the same ice-cube effect. They’ll still have a lovely crystallized coating on them though. Go for it! You’ll love it!

Well, this is the first time I’ve made them, so I can’t say for sure, Martha. I’m hoping they’ll last for years.

Well, I’m not sure technically, Maria, but like I said in the post, crystals started forming within a few hours, and I left ours overnight to max the effect.

Thank you for researching the topic, and commenting back after leaving your first comment, Kevin. Yes, Boric Acid is highly toxic. It is often confused with Borax, which is in fact a “mild irritant”. Some actually ingest a small amount daily as a dietary supplement. Strange, but true.

You might be confusing it with Boric Acid, Alicia. Boric Acid is highly toxic, while Borax is a mild irritant. Some folks actually take a small dose of it as a daily dietary supplement.