I saw this tutorial on Pinterest for growing your own DIY crystal geode to decorate a jewelry box, and I knew I had to try it. I’m not usually a huge DIY person, but I’ve always had a thing for rocks, gems, minerals, and crystals.

As  a child, I actually had a rock collection, believe it or not! When I visited my grandparents in upper Michigan, I collected some really cool minerals like quartz and hematite.

My interest in rock continued into college when I fulfilled one of my science electives by registering for a course entitled: Gems and Precious Stones. Yes, I like rocks, but I also took the course because it was offered completely online and was an ‘easy’ way to fulfill a science elective.

So yes, my interest in rocks extends all the way back to being a little girl in Wisconsin. I can still envision the decorative pink box in which I stored my precious rock collection.

Just recently, I recalled my love of all things rocks when I found these amazing rock book ends (similar to this) at a new boutique in Phoenix. Then I saw this tutorial for a DIY crystal geode jewelry box, so I knew I wanted to try to recreate it.

The steps to create the crystal geodes are fairly straight forward, but it does require quite a bit of waiting time. I tried creating several of the geodes using different colors, and some turned out better than others. What I did learn from the tutorial I followed was that some of the directions needed a bit more clarification. Also, the recipe the tutorial provided did not produce the geodes I hoped for, so I added more borax to create larger and denser crystals.

If you want to create your own DIY crystal geode jewelry box, or just the crystals for another purpose, check out the steps below.

How to Create Your Own DIY Crystal Geode Jewelry Box

You Need:

Borax
White pipe cleaners
String
Scissors
Heat-safe glass jar or container
Measuring spoons
Gel food coloring (liquid would work, too)
Pencil
Paint brush
Gold Enamel Paint
E6000 Glue
Decorative Box

Directions:

1. To create the base for the crystal, wrap the pipe cleaners to form a coil, weaving the ends in and through the coil’s layers to create a disc-like shape. Try to make the disc as dense as possible, with not very much empty space. The denser the coil, the better, as the crystals need something to adhere to.

2. Cut a 12-inch long piece of string and thread it through one of the outer rings of the coil and set aside.

3. Measure 1 cup of Borax into a heat-safe glass container or jar.

4. Boil 3 cups of water in a small pot and mix in food coloring. Start with ½ teaspoon of gel food coloring at a time until you reach the color you desire. Stir to encourage the gel to mix in completely, then carefully pour the still-boiling water over the Borax powder and mix until dissolved.

5. Lower the pipe-cleaner coil into the Borax solution, and tie the other end of the string around a pencil or pen, so that the coil won’t touch the bottom of the jar when you rest the pencil on the jar’s rim. Let the coil sit undisturbed for up to 24 hours, covered with a dish towel, then remove it from the solution and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut off the string.

6. Once dry, paint the crystal’s edges with metallic enamel paint.

7. Once the crystal is dry, glue it to the box lid with E6000 glue.