How to make a crystal christmas tree

This week over in the free STEM ideas group on Facebook I showed you how to make a….

DIY Crystal Christmas Tree!

YOU WILL NEED:

• Sugar/ salt/ Epsom Salts
• Beakers & Spoons
• Cardboard Christmas Trees
• Shallow Plates
• Food colouring (optional)

1. Boil a kettle
2. Pour 50 – 75ml water into your beaker (carefully! It’s hot!)
3. Stir in as much of your solute (sugar, salt, epsom salts) as you can! You want to create a SATURATED solution i.e. not everything is dissolved!
4. Pop your cardboard tree onto your plate
5. Now carefully pour your solution over your cardboard tree and leave it in a warm and sunny spot
6. Check back regularly to see if your Crystals have grown 
7. Once they have, remove your tree from the solution, leave it to dry and assemble!