Materials:
1 brick (or piece of concrete block or lump of coal
- something that can soak up solution
without falling apart or mouldering,
and support crystals)
4 tbsp bluing (what people used to use to make their
laundry look whiter.
It's a colloidal suspension of tiny iron
particles in water, which gives the salt
something to crystallize around.)
4 tbsp table salt
1 tbsp ammonia
4 tbsp water
food coloring or ink (optional - to add more color)
bowl or high-sided decorative plate
Procedure:
Break brick into chunks.
Place in bowl.
Mix salt, bluing, water, ammonia, and
pour over brick pieces.
Drop food coloring for decoration here and there
on brick pieces.
Let sit undisturbed, in a dry place, for at least
overnight to several days.
Add more salt, bluing and water to bottom of bowl
every now and then to grow more crystals.
Caution: crystals are very fragile.
A source of laundry bluing:
Mrs. Stewart's Bluing
http://www.mrsstewart.com
(thanks to Greg for info)
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last update 1-30-99