Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Golden Geodes

Ok, they're more like inside out geodes, but they still look amazing.  Lately I've been obsessed with growing crystals in the kitchen and I seriously cannot stop!  Last week I decided to paint some basic stones with my beautiful metallic gold Americana Multi-Surface and then see if they could withstand the heat and borax solution.  Guess what....They did!  I absolutely love the way these look and people can't stop playing with them.  Put them around some 
candles and you'll have an amazing centerpiece.  
Glue one on top of a box and you'll have something truly special.
Have fun!  xo, Mark
Photographed on my favorite tree stump 

Watch the short video tutorial here
YOU'LL NEED
Borax
Food Coloring
Rocks
Pipe cleaners
Thread
Chopsticks
Large glass jars
Paintbrushes
 Wash and paint several stones in metallic gold
*The bigger the stone, the larger the end result
Wrap the stones in pipe cleaners and secure in place
Tie a string to the stone and secure it to a pipe cleaner so that it hangs inside of the glass jar
Fill the jar with boiling water and food coloring 
 Add 3 tablespoons of borax per cup of boiling water
*You can use more if you want to
Submerge the stone into the water and let set for at least 6 hours
The longer you leave it, the larger it will grow
Remove and let dry


9 comments:

  1. Hi Mark,
    This looks like fun- how sturdy are the "geodes". Will they melt if exposed to water/rain? Can they be worn as jewelry? Thank you

    Maria

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  2. Hi Maria, They are pretty sturdy, however I wouldn't make jewelry with them unless they were in some sort of glass vial. You could try coating them with something like a Minwax gloss varnish, that might just make them strong enough for jewelry.

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  3. Hi Mark: clever idea. Could you use a mini plastic dinosaur instead of a rock? Would the kids be able to break them open to find the surprise inside- or are the crystals too sturdy to break open?

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    1. Hi Lynnie, I'd have to say no to that. You could surround a dinosaur with pipe cleaners to make the crystals, but it would be extremely difficult to remove them once it was done.

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  4. The written instructions say to use 1 tablespoon of borax to 1 cup of water, yet the video says 3 tablespoons of borax to 1 cup of water. I used the 1:1 ratio and it didn't work. Then I watched the video and discovered I did not use enough borax. Maybe edit the written instructions?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jo, I've edited it. You can still use the solution you made, just put it in the microwave and add more borax when the initial amount dissolves. Thanks for pointing that out!

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  5. Hi Mark! What determines the color? Do they come out the same color as the pipe cleaners?

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    Replies
    1. Yes! Pipe cleaners and the food coloring help color it a bit. You have to experiment a bit but it's always exciting when they're done.

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  6. Hi Mark! What determines the color? Do they come out the same color as the pipe cleaners?

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