How To Make Snowflakes Indoors

Here's How:

1. Cut a pipe cleaner into 3 equal lengths. Arrange the pieces in a crisscross pattern -- one vertical, and the other two forming an "X" on top.
2. Twist the pieces together in the middle to join them together and spread out the ends evenly. This is the base skeleton of your snowflake shape.
3. Tie string around the tip of one of the pipe cleaner spokes, then connect it to the next spoke.
4. Continue tying the string around the tip of each pipe cleaner spoke until you've gone all the way around, forming a hexagon shape.
5. Tie another length of string to the tip of one of the spokes (this will allow the snowflake to dangle in the solution in the jar.)
6. Fill a wide-mouth jar with boiling water.
7. Add Borax to the boiling water, one tablespoonful at a time. Use three tablespoonfuls per cup of water. Stir gently to dissolve.
8. Optional: add one or two drops of blue food coloring to give the snowflakes a bluish tint.
9. Slowly lower the pipecleaner snowflake into the water, suspending it in the mixture. Tie the loose end of the string to a pencil across the top of the open end of the jar so that the snowflake can dangle.
10. Let the jar rest overnight. In the morning, shiny crystals will have formed on the pipecleaners and string -- an indoor snowflake!

Tips:

1. Adults should supervise this project -- boiling water can burn!
2. Borax is sold as 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster in the laundry products section of the grocery store.
3. Food coloring can stain clothing and work surfaces; use with caution.
4. An empty mayonnaise jar works well with this project.

What You Need:

• string
• white pipe cleaner (18")
• blue food coloring (opt)
• boiling water
• wide mouth jar