How to Make Homegrown Crystals

You can grow crystals out of sugar and salt water.

When children learn about geology and crystal formation, you can make the lessons more exciting by providing the kids with a hands-on project that will demonstrate how crystals form in nature. You can make homegrown crystals using a few basic ingredients that can be purchased in any grocery store. By adding a few drops of food coloring into the crystal forming solution, you can even make the crystal grow in beautiful colors.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup salt
• 3 cups water
• Food coloring
• Pot
• Glass mason jar
• Bamboo skewer

Instructions

1. Combine 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup of salt in a pot.

2. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot.

3. Heat the solution until it boils, then remove it from the heat.

4. Add in five drops of food coloring, your choice of color.

5. Pour the solution into a glass mason jar.

6. Insert a bamboo skewer into the glass jar and leave it there for two days. The colorful crystals will form on the skewer.

References

• Think Quest: Growing Crystals