DIY Jeweled Box

Hi there! I’ve been on a kick lately, designing and making pretty storage boxes for things. I actually don’t know how I’m going to use this jeweled box that I DIYd, but I wanted to try making a geode, and when I saw this gray, geometrical acrylic box with a lid in Target’s bargain bins, I knew a geode would look great on top. Maybe I’ll use it for jewelry (only fitting) in our bathroom when I get around to designing that space. Here’s how to make a geode using Borax and food coloring.

DIY Jeweled Box
Nap Rating = 1 nap (not including time it takes for crystals to form)
Inspired by The Etsy Blog

Tools & Materials

• White pipe cleaner
• String
• Scissors
• Borax
• Heat-safe glass vase or jar
• Food coloring
• Pencil
• Poster putty
• Paint brush
• Gold metallic paint

Steps

1. Coil the pipe cleaner around and around to form a flat disc. Tuck the ends inside the coil to hide them.
2. Tie a length of string to the outer ring of your pipe cleaner coil.
3. Place 9 T. of Borax into your vase or jar.
4. Bring 3 c. of water to a boil, and add food coloring in your desired shade. For deeper, richer color, you may need to double the amounts indicated by the color chart on the box of food coloring.
5. Pour the boiling water into the jar and stir until the Borax is dissolved.
6. Wrap the end of your string around a pencil and tie it in a knot then lower the pipe cleaner coil into the Borax mixture without letting it rest on the bottom of the vase. Balance the pencil on the top of the vase and secure it to the rim with a little poster putty if needed.
7. Cover the vase with a towel and let it sit undisturbed for 5 hours.
8. Remove the coil, cut the string, and pat dry with a paper towel.
9. Paint the edge of your newly formed crystal with metallic gold paint.

Once the paint has dried, use some hot glue to adhere the crystal to a box of your choosing.

You may also like:

Agate and Geode Crafts

Z Gallerie Knock Off Ming Box

Decoupaged Recipe Box