I did this about three years ago with a budding geologist. We took eggshells, that had been halfed lenthwise, and added the solution to them, after laying a seed bed if crystals. We used a different medium but the results produced some very cool looking geodes. I think I'll have to play with some bottled next. :)
After a few years, my crystals turned to a fine powder. Stayed together but just looked like I had cocaine on my tables 😂😂 soooo next time....might spray over the stuff in clear coat or modge podge
Hi...I wanted you to know that I am now officially addicted to crystallizing bottles! What at great project! I've done 6 bottles so far and love how they came out.. It is such an easy project with such incredible results! I'll try and get some pictures. I am planning on giving a couple as valentine's gifts. They look like I spent a fortune on them, they are gorgeous. I don't think anyone will believe that I made them and how easy it was...maybe I'll keep that part my little secret! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you...Big Hug! Diane Rush
+Diane Rush LOL Diane, I know what you mean, sometimes I want to keep my little secrets but that wouldn't go too well if my friends saw me on Facebook. :) You are welcome, I thought the same thing too, don't they come out so beautifully? And you can experiment with colors? So pretty! thank you! Patti
Oh my, i am in my 70s....when i was a child we would make chrystals out of 20 mule team borax. So fun to see these old things brought back with a modern twist.
You know everything I am wanting to try! Many thanks again. My decoupage is doing great as well as working on my birdhouse after finally finding the right materials/napkins.
Patti, love love this!They are so beautiful! If I have the time I am going give this a try . Never seen or hear of this until you show us . Tfs. Hugs, Vicki 🎄
+Vickie Murray Thank you Vickie, I was just saying that I had heard of Borax on pipe cleaners but I was curious as to how it would look on glass, and we have our answer don't we? This was one of my favorite projects! Patti
I love when you open an email and you find an incredible project like this one! It makes it feel like every day is your Birthday! I never know what wonderful surprise I'll find and I just want to say "Thank you" to you and all the other talented artist that take the time to make the videos. Thank you for making my day brighter!!
+Diane Rush aww, Diane, that is one of the sweetest things I've ever read on youtube and I get hundreds of comments a week! So sweet! Thank you -you have made my day! Patti
+patioelf I'd hope to share how your videos make me feel! Once again i would like to say "thank you!" . I am an artist and have tried ...to make a video of a project..it still makes me giggle. You make it look soo easy. I can tell you from first hand experience..giggle..giggle..it is not as easy as it looks and to make it enjoyable, whether you do the project or put it on your 10,100,000,001 of projects you'd like to do, this is one that add so much sparkle and stands out, that you just have to try it.Keep up the wonderful work!! Oh! and Thank you for replying.. When I saw the message, it was like getting a great big Hug!
Well huge hugs to you Diane! And thank you, you really have made my day....I'm so happy you like this project. I hope I keep making video's that make you happy. It's nice that you know it is not that easy. I make the videos short to keep people interested (and youtube used to recommend keeping them shorter than 15 minutes) but I normally start doing the project on Sunday, work on some of it on Monday, then all day Tuesday, editing on Wednesday means I have to take all of those hours of filmed work and chop the video down to 15 minutes. It's a lot of work but I do love it-it is so nice that you can appreciate it. I used to laugh at myself hearing my own voice, even now when I watch some of my earliest video's I think, "Holy Cow, I'm very lucky people came back to watch more, I sound so stiff!" :)Now I can laugh though. Have a great weekend! Patti
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge in such a precise and clear way!Also the many tips and tricks to encourage us! All the best to you and your channel!
Hi Virginia, I know right?? I saw this done to pipe cleaners so I started to experiment with my glass bottles and Wow! One thing I do want to mention that is not in the video, if you add a clear high gloss top coat (Triple Thick spray is excellent) over the finished bottles (the parts with the crystals especially) they will stay on much better. After months of moving mine around, some crystals chipped off. The spray has them sealed on there forever. :) Patti
+Sophie's Choice Thank you Sophie, I had seen the borax trick done on pipe cleaners and knew I had to try this on bottles and jars. I hope you try it, they're just so pretty! Patti
Have you tried doubling the dip, I mean after completing the process once, putting the crystalised vase back into another "fresh" mixture? If so, what are the effects? I loved the finished effect and couldn't help thinking about using a spray paint to colour the inside of the vases and bottles, something like a chrome spray and seeing if that would make the crystals on the outside pop even more. I know you posted a long time ago, but here's to hoping... Best wishes.
Hi Patti, Happy New year to you!! These are just gorgeous!!! I love how elegant they look and the jade color and the ...royal blue, er...lavender ones look so beautiful!! Now I have something new to try. Hope things are going well for you. :)
+vegasjill21 Hi there! Happy New Year to you too! Thank you, I keep these on the window sill and they look so pretty in the sun. I noticed that if any humidity hits them the crystals can start to come off. Patti
I loved how your bottles came out, thank you for sharing. I would lime to know if I can spray glue once they are dry to keep the crystals from coming off? any ideas on how to make it last longer?
Patti, I thought by your video title you had developed a process for crystallizing the glass. As you are aware, I"m sure, glass is a fluid, and I thought you must be a genius for turning a fluid glass bottle into a solid. Regardless, your video was interesting . . . I was simply expecting a miracle. Thanks for sharing.
if you use a use a paste or powdered food colouring you will get better colour also you can form crystals on a string i use a pearl cotton thread and crochet butterflies and flowers and at Christmas I did snowflakes and snowmen and candy canes to give as favours
As long as the pan or pot is stainless steel borax won't hurt it. Borax can be used to clean and shine stainless steel. When you are finish making crystalst, reheat the solution and disgard the water in the pot and clean it. Thanks for sharing. The glasses are really pretty.
+Heather Martinez Thank you Heather! These bottles look so pretty in the sunlight every morning, I want to just keep making them! I hope you give it a try! Patti
I did try it I'll send you the pictures or video when i get them up on RU-vid. They look so great !!!! If i put up on RU-vid it will be on my other channel Ideas2come. Thanks again. Heather
+Lala Hastings I hope you try it Lala. Even though the bottles/jars came out pretty in the video, I'm thinking they still look even prettier in front of you. Thank you! Patti
Hi Patti, these are stunning!!! Do you have to use some sort of sealer for the crystals to stay put? Are they water resistant without a sealer? I'd love to try my luck making a couple of pieces to give as xmas gifts.
I just came across your video and I am really excited about doing a project like this!! Your work is BEAUTIFUL!!! I got excited when you pulled out the large vase (which is what I want to crystalize) but then realized you only used it as the holder for the other bottle you were crystallizing. My question is how did the vase turn out with the crystals inside it? I want to crystalize a large vase but I don't have something large enough to put the vase in.. so I was wondering how does it look with crystals forming from the inside?
Do you think this would work on non glass items like a clay flower pot or a candle, plastic etc?? Maybe spraying it with a clear acrylic or Modpog would keep the crystals on better or what would you use?
I wonder if you used some sort of etching cream (like Armour Etch) over the entire surface of the glass, would that get the crystals to stick better/easier than sanding? I think I'm going to try that.
How well did the color keep after a while? A friend of mine made me something like this and after awhile the color didn't keep and they just turned clear, I would love to know if this way keeps the color better!
I tried this..got some pretty Crystal's, good sized. The retained the color, but unfortunately, within 2 months, almost ALL of the crystals have separated off the glass..and are too delicate to reapply, if they'd stop breaking long enough to do so. 😕 *sigh* had hoped to use these for centerpieces for our wedding. Gonna keep experimenting. Maybe revisit this another time. Thanks.
Good Morning Patti, ******** Love love love love love these******* How am I going to get anything done now today, I will have to make these!!! I love them. I can't say that enough. I have quite a few vintage seafoam color bottles that I am trying this on. Okay I have an idea, how about using those glass balls you made the ornaments out of. They will float nicely I bet and can you imagine them on your tree or hanging in a window. I am going to try it. I love the blue one that was your favorite. I have to say though I loved them all. Yup, the ending of the video was quite fun* I wonder if you can use the borax on plastic ornaments? any clue? I am off to get some rit dye :) have a great day Patti deezie
+Deneen Lotz LOL Deezie I knew it!!!! You and I think so much alike! I knew you would love these. And why didn't I think about that with the Christmas balls? Let me know if you try it, and let me know if it works on plastic. I'm guessing you'll have to let the water cool down a bit first so the plastic doesn't melt, but you should be fine and they would be much easier to scuff up. They would look amazing on the tree. I want to try small votives next! Can you imagine these in Amber with candles in them? Any color really. See? off to the races again....Post some pix on my UWD Facebook page if you do this ok? I would love to see them. I loved loved this project. And that blue one? It is a shade of jade green that I haven't seen anywhere else. I love it! I'm looking forward to seeing what you've done. I will be finishing the Christmas tree tomorrow, then wrapping so so many gifts, busy busy aren't we? Patti
+patioelf Patti, I have some balls (cooking now) in the borax water. Hopefully they will look amazing and I will figure out how to post a picture. Have fun wrapping and decorating today. Oh those little votive holders* YES yes yes, what a great idea. Now I will have to try those too :) have a great weekend deezie
Hello Deezie, I have to see pictures! You may have sent them since it's been a few days since I have been responding on youtube. I want to do all kinds of things with these Crystals. After Christmas I am going to take the left over teal ones that I have, and I'm going to use a 2 part resin or other glues to see if they work in a mold or cookie cutter to make pretty ornaments (for year round really) I also want to try to make bottle tops since we decorate all of these pretty bottles but I don't like a plain cork in them. I haven't seen a youtube video for how to make bottle tops except for one, I think it had to do with a kiln. Oh sure, I'll run right out and buy one. I might make a video of it if they come out nice. (the bottle tops or the ornaments) I better get going Deezie, it's Christmas eve, so much to do and still have to respond to youtube and facebook questions. Merry Christmas! Patti
+patioelf I can't wait to see what you come up with using the molds. I bet they will be gorgeous, I love using 2 part resin. The ornaments came out pretty but not as crystalized as I had hoped. I put a picture on facebook but you can't really tell how pretty it came out. I am not the best at taking pictures. I also did the votive tea light holders and I did a bunch of oyster shells. My favorite are the shells. They came out so pretty. I am sure you will come up with something amazing for the bottle tops. Hey, I have a kiln*** You can get a small one, they are fantastic to craft with. Enjoy your Christmas Patti. deezie
Just amazing what an easy creative idea,so well demonstrated.I can't wait for morning to come to do it.each time i save any bottles both husband son sneaked them and put my earlier batches for recycling,till i gave them an ultimatum threatened literally that i would recycle their stuff and they won't have a clue where their stuff went. My question is can i use craft paint? Diluted? Or does it have to be food coloring.Will greatly appreciate your help.Thanks.
I love this video and will be trying this soon! I was wondering tho, is there a way to do multiple colors on a bottle? Like if u wanted a rainbow one or if u wanted two or three colors etc etc
Patti - love your videos.you do an awesome job! Been looking for my next craft obsession & I think I just found it! Love the bottles... one question..If you don't sand the inside of the jars, do they crystalize also? or just the outside of the jars?
+Cindy Shotwell I noticed that there were some crystals on the inside of the bottles or jars/ and the bottom. But it was so fragile I was able to remove it with my finger. Isn't it so much fun to do? :) Patti
+patioelf it is! My crystals didn't get as big as yours? MAybe not enough borax or maybe not sanded well enough but I'm gonna try again. Did anyone ever successfully seal one? Thx again. Love your videos. You are very easy to understand. Cindy.
Thank you Cindy. I noticed that some crystals were larger and some were smaller, one time they came out like purple snow. I still have the loose crystals waiting to be experimented with and sealed. I think I should at least use a spray gloss top coat over them to see what happens. This way it will dry fast and there will be less chance of the crystals dissolving -if that's what they are going to do. I"m sorry I didn't get to that yet! I will make another video if I can do something with those crystals and I will seal the bottles/ jars. :) Patti
Dear patty, it is very unclear... when you dipped the bottles in metal pots, do we need to heat the mixture of Borax and water? And the glass jars were kept in that solution? Thanks.
Thank you very much for this video end tips! I'm planning to make something similar and now I know, that first I have to sandblast bottles :) But I have questions. 1 - do you know if ink will work with borax as coloring? 2 - I want put candle into such prepared bottle, do you have any idea, how hot temperature will affect borax crystals? Will they stay on place or for example melt or drop down? Greetings to you, Allie
I did it but there is a lot left over. Some of it is like sand and there are some crystals. My question is, what do I do with the left overs? I'm thinking drain the water using a colander saving the crystals?
I tried this wonderful process, but I have alot of questions. I made a mistake by reheating original solution and putting the first bottle back in, instead of making more crystals I found the hot water removed the existing ones. Question, If I leave the bottle in longer than 24 hours will crystals continue to grow or does it require totally new solution and a time for the crystals to become solidly fixed to bottle. How long is solution good for? If you could let me know I would appreciate it.
Hello loved this so much...have a ? Will more form if you leave in longer? Thanks love to know..And also can u use other things will it work or just glass. Thank you Mardi.
WOW!! Hello, Thank you so much for this. I wanted to contact you and let you know this is amazing. I have tried this and did a test tub if you will, in a bucket. Yes I used a bucket. It works great!! I wanted to share with you i had so many different ideas flood my creative channels that i got right on it. I am making crystal embellishments for my journals i have tested many many different mediums. I filed some wood and the crystals stuck to the wood. AMAZING!!! Also testing some baked polymer clay. slow and steady not sure how that is going to turn out. I feel like all of my crafts just got a crystal infusion. I LOVE it and thank you so much from all of my heart for sharing this video. And you have gorgeous hands by the way. LOL I am not sure how to put photos on here or i would show you everything. Have a great day. Here is my Etsy link for you, in a few days i will be putting a few of my ideas up I know everyone will Love them. If you don't mind i will be letting them know i got this video from you. Let me know. Thanks again. www.etsy.com/shop/DivineIntuitive?ref=hdr_shop_menu Heather Renee
+Heather Portanier Thank you Heather, you sound so much like me and so passionate about your work. I am the same way when I come across a new idea. I'm so happy you like the video so much and LOVE that you were able to experiment with so many things....I just glanced at your Etsy page and your work is beautiful!!! I will look at it a bit more over the next few days when I get some time to really have a look at it. I'm about to sign off for the night....I can't wait to see the crystal infused crafts you come up with! thank you again Heather! Patti
