We love simple chemistry projects, and this Christmas chemistry project is a fun way to learn about and create homemade crystal ornaments! The holidays are a great time to explore science and STEM, and we make it fun and easy for you to share Christmas science experiments with your kids.
MAKE YOUR OWN CHEMISTRY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
CHRISTMAS CHEMISTRY
Chemistry for kids, especially in crystal growing, is an exciting and hands-on way to introduce them to the wonders of molecular structures and chemical reactions.
Through this engaging activity, kids can learn about the principles of saturation, nucleation, and crystallization, understanding how molecules arrange themselves to create unique and beautiful structures.
Not only does crystal growing make chemistry more accessible and enjoyable, but it also sparks curiosity about the microscopic world and encourages a lifelong interest in science.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Science Christmas Ornaments
CHRISTMAS CHEMISTRY ORNAMENTS
You can make three different versions of crystal ornaments, each with a slightly different method. Turn it into a science experiment to compare the results of the three. Read over the items needed and the instructions below, and determine which of the three methods you want to try first!
You can get a free printable version of the recipes here or below!
CHEMISTRY ORNAMENT 1: LIGHT BULB
This ornament is made using a coffee filter and borax powder.
Want to explore light? Try a lemon battery to power a tiny light!
YOU WILL NEED:
- 3 Tablespoons Borax
- 1 Cup Water
- Glass bowl
- Coffee filter
- Food coloring
- Clearcoat spray (optional)
HOW TO MAKE A CHEMISTRY ORNAMENT
- Boil a pot of water.
- Mix about 3 T of Borax to every 1 cup of water. Some Borax powder will end up settling on the bottom. This is fine.
- Pour the hot water into a glass bowl.
- Add food coloring if desired.
- Trace your ornament template onto a coffee filter and cut out the light bulb shape.
- Poke a hole near the top of the shape. This will enable you to thread a string or hook through it later.
- Place the cutout coffee filter into the borax solution and set the bowl in a safe place.
- Wait 24 hours.
- Remove your crystallized ornament from the mixture and spray both back and front with clear coat spray.
- After drying, thread a hook or string through the hole and hang your new ornament on your Christmas tree!
CHEMISTRY ORNAMENT 2: ATOM
Everything above stays the same, except you use pipe cleaners instead of a coffee filter. The ornament I made using this method is the atom.
Learn more about Atoms here, including how to make 2 Simple Atom Models and Parts of an Atom!
- Complete steps 1-4, same as above.
- Using the template you printed, mold the pipe cleaners into the shape of the silhouette. For the atom, I created loops using 3 pipe cleaners and then attached them together using two very small snips of another pipe cleaner.
- Place the pipe cleaners into the Borax solution and set the bowl in a safe place.
- Wait 24 hours.
- Remove your crystallized ornament from the mixture and spray both back and front with clear coat spray.
- After drying, thread a hook or string through one of the openings and hang your new ornament on your Christmas tree!
CHEMISTRY ORNAMENT 3: BEAKER
You might also like our Crystal Candy Cane Ornaments!
YOU WILL NEED:
- 3 Tablespoon Borax powder
- 1 Cup Water
- Wide-mouthed glass jar
- Pipe cleaner
- Food coloring
- String
- Wooden craft stick or pencil
- Clearcoat spray (optional)
HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS CHEMISTRY ORNAMENT
- Boil a pot of water.
- Mix about 3 T of Borax to every 1 cup of water. Some Borax powder will end up settling on the bottom. This is fine.
- Pour the hot water into a glass jar.
- Add Christmas theme food coloring if desired.
- Using the template you printed, mold the pipe cleaners into the shape of the silhouette. For the beaker, I left a long portion of pipe cleaner sticking up from the top.
- Wrap the extra pipe cleaner around the craft stick or pencil and lower the shape down into the Borax solution. The stick/pencil should rest on top of the jar.
- Set the jar in a safe place and wait 24 hours.
- Remove your crystallized ornament from the mixture and spray both back and front with clear coat spray. This is not 100% necessary, but it will preserve your crystals longer.
- After drying, you can bend the extra portion of the pipe cleaner into a hook and hang your new ornament on your Christmas tree!
CRYSTAL CHEMISTRY
How does this work? Borax occurs naturally in dry lake deposits and is found in crystal form. When you dissolve the commercial powder in boiling water, the water becomes saturated with the Borax and suspended. You have just made a saturated solution.
You want the water to cool slowly so that the impurities have a chance to leave the solution, leaving beautiful crystals behind. The powder deposits itself on the pipe cleaners, and when the water cools, the borax returns to its natural state, leaving large crystals behind.
If cooled slowly, these crystals are pretty strong and uniform in shape. If cooled too quickly, you will see more unstable crystals in various shapes.
More Christmas Science Activities
Printable Christmas STEM Project Pack
200+ PAGES OF HOLIDAY THEME STEAM, STEM, Science, and Art!
- 25+ Christmas theme science and STEM activities with printable sheets, instructions, and useful information all using easy-to-source materials perfect for limited-time needs. Includes a holiday theme engineering pack with fun, problem-based challenges for kids to solve! NEW observation sheets included.
- Try a Santa’s Letter airplane challenge or take the gingerbread house-building challenge!
- Explore the five senses with a specially designed Santa’s Lab pack.
- Try a mini nature study with your favorite type of Christmas tree.
- Try your hand at building shapes with gumdrop structure challenge cards or build shapes with jingle bells. Or try the Christmas-themed paper chain challenge!
- Christmas Screen-free Coding activities include algorithm games, binary code ornaments, and more!
- Explore 6+ Christmas Art Projects with famous artist-inspired activities that combine art history, process art techniques, and more with simple to-do ideas.
Click on the link or on the image for more fun DIY Christmas Ornaments for kids.
Can they be left in the solution for over 24hrs? We have Makers Space every Monday and Wednesday. So if we did this on a Monday would it be ok to leave until Wednesday?
Yes! You can leave it for 24 hours! Perfect to leave it and forget it.