Grow your own Magic Crystal Tree

Step 1 Gather Your Materials

Gathering the ingredients is probably the most difficult step. To grow your Magic Crystal Tree, you'll need:
- Mrs Stewart's Bluing
- Table salt
- Household Ammonia (the kind with no soap added)
- Cardboard (not corrugated)
- Bowl
- Water
- Measuring spoon
- Food Coloring (optional)

The bluing is the hardest item to find but can be found in the cleaning section of many grocery stores. You can find the ammonia close by.

The cardboard I used came as packing material from a new shirt, or the backing from a paper notepad. Cereal box cardboard might work, but it's thinner & has printing on one side...

Depending on the temperature & humidity of your location, the ammonia is optional, but speeds up the crystal growth -- the tree in this Instructable started "sprouting" in less than an hour. Without ammonia, it may take a couple of days to start.

Comments

[museumoftechno]

Does the bluing do anything, apart from colouring the salt? Would the project work without it?

Thanks!

[ggibbs2]

the bluing is a colloid aka the crystal seed you need it to grow the crystals it otherwise is just a mix trust me it doesn't grow a thing.

[Oliver Larsen]

So, it's a great instructable, undoubtly gonna try it. BUT, I'm from Denmark, and therefore I don't understand what "Bluing" is. Can you explain for a Dane?

Thanks.

[CamillaLuvzMusic]

Denmark!! Me too!! Well no my mom is, dad isn't, i'm half-and-half!

[Ironfounderson]

It's a additive used to make whites whiter in the laundry.  It was quite popular years ago, but not widely used now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_%28fabric%29

[Oliver Larsen]

Uh, I see. Do you think chlorine could be a good alternative?

[TANZMEISTER]

DO NOT EVER MIX BLEACH WITH AMMONIA~!!!@!!!!

If you don't believe it from me, then read this.
http://chemistry.about.com/od/toxicchemicals/a/Mixing-Bleach-And-Ammonia.htm

[cdeerinck]

 No, no, no!  Ammonia tries to evaporate, and will carry the chlorine with it.  I almost died once from breathing chlorine.  Probably the worst way imaginable to die. 

Also, don't try bleach (another whitener), as mixing that with ammonia makes truly dangerous things.  Read here: www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A795611

[Ironfounderson]

No, I wouldn't think so.

[alienpsychomom]

Do you think you might be able to use the cone styrofoam? The food dyes would certainly be absorbed. I will go ahead and try it unless you know why it would not. I will email you a picture of it if it turns out great. Thank you for the idea because I have grandkids that would it.

[skylane]

 YEARS ago, my grandmother and I did this very same thing.
We used pieces of brick.  Made a little pile like a small mountain range.
Then the ''forests'' grew!!  Place drops of different colors of food coloring
in different locations for a multi color effect

[briannamarie21]

uuuhhhgggh!!? i need your help.? my tree is taking forever to grow, help me, did i do something wrong? HELP! its a goood idea thoughh(:

[MissMush]

Just though I would jump in here:  If you are trying to find the Mrs. Stewarts Bluing - check this list of all the stores in Canada/USA that stock it!!

http://www.mrsstewart.com/pages/wheretofind.htm

[k8monster]

Hobby or art stores will sell a thin cardboard that us usually used to build working models... It's called chipboard

[frogmama]

Or ask a scrapbooker or a place that sells open-stock scrapbook paper. The OS paper comes wrapped with that as a stabilizer for packaging.

[mik3]

Thanks -- it's good know places to find the materials. Other possibilities for the tree "skeleton" are pipe cleaners, or toilet paper tubes.

[DELETED_GuardianFox]

(removed by author or community request)

[mik3]

DOH! Thanks for catching that.