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How to Grow Crystals as a Fun Project

It is possible to grow great crystals with a few simple steps.  It is simple to figure out how to grow great crystals, which bring energy and vitality to any environment.  A few basic tips follow to show you how to grow crystals and troubleshoot some common problems.

Before you figure out how to grow crystals, you should know a little about them.  What are crystals?  Crystals are structures formed form a regular repeated pattern of connected atoms or molecules.  They grow by a process termed nucleation, during which the atoms or molecules that will crystallize (solute) are dissolved into their individual units in a solvent.  The solute particles contact each other and connect with each other.  This subunit is larger than an individual particle, so more particles will contact and connect with it.

Eventually, this crystal nucleus becomes large enough that it falls out of solution, or crystallizes.  Other solute molecules will continue to attach to the surface of the crystal, causing it to grow until a balance or equilibrium is reached between the solute molecules in the crystal and those that remain in the solution.  Determining how to grow crystals is a great project for both crystal enthusiasts, and kids, as they can see chemistry at work.

The basic method of how to grow crystals is to start with a saturated solution.  In order to grow a crystal, you need to make a solution which maximizes the chances for the solute particles to come together and form a nucleus, which will grow into your crystal.  This means you will want a concentrated solution with as much solute as you can dissolve.  Though sometimes nucleation can occur simply through the interactions between the solute particles in the solution (called unassisted nucleation), but sometimes it's better to provided a sort of meeting place for solute particles to aggregate (assisted nucleation).  A rough surface tends to be more attractive for nucleation than a smooth surface.  As an example, a crystal is more likely to start forming on a rough piece of string than on the smooth side of a glass, so when deciding how to grow crystals, make sure you provide a rough surface.

It's best to start your crystals with a saturated solution.  A more dilute solution will become saturated as the air evaporates some liquid, but evaporation takes time.  You will get your crystals more quickly if the solution is saturated to begin with, and there are may  be a time when you need to add more liquid to your crystal solution.  If your solution is anything but saturated, then it will actually dissolve your crystals, so you must be careful to keep a saturated solution.  

Make a saturated solution by adding your crystal solute such as sugar or salt to a solvent like water, although some recipes call for other solvents.  When determining how to grow crystals, it is best to have a recipe at hand.  Most call for salt and water, or sugar and water, making them an easy task for kids to complete.  Dissolve the solute (the sugar or salt) with the help of heat, over a stove burner or in the microwave.


If you just want to know how to grow crystals as a mass of crystals or a crystal garden, you can pour your saturated solution over a rough surface like rocks, a brick, or a sponge. Cover the entire setup with a paper towel or coffee filter to keep out dust, and allow the liquid to slowly evaporate.

On the other hand, if you are learning how to grow crystals as a large, single crystal, you will need to obtain a seed crystal.  One method for obtaining a seed crystal is to pour a small amount of your saturated solution onto a plate, let the drop evaporate, and scrape the crystals formed on the bottom to use as seeds.  Another method is to pour saturated solution into a very smooth container (like a glass jar) and dangle a rough object (like a piece of string) into the liquid. Small crystals will start to grow on the string, which can be used as seed crystals.

When you are learning how to grow crystals, if your seed crystal is on a string, pour the liquid into a clean container so that the crystals will not grow on the glass and compete with your crystal.  Then, suspend the string in the liquid, cover the container with a paper towel or coffee filter, but don’t seal the lid. Pour the liquid into a clean container whenever you see crystals growing on the container.

Once your crystals are complete, you have to preserve them.  Crystals made from a water solution will dissolve in humid air.  Keep your crystals beautiful by storing them in a dry, closed container, and wrap it in paper to keep it dry and prevent dust from accumulating.  Other options are to seal your crystals with an acrylic coating, but this will dissolve the outermost layer of the crystal itself.