Creating Quartz Crystal Clusters

We recommend this activity be done over the course of several days.

1. Spread out drop cloth or newsprint to protect your work surface.
2. Crumple one piece of brown kraft paper.
3. Uncrumple and smooth out the paper.
4. Spread a thin layer of glue on one side of the kraft paper and re-crumple it up to resemble a rock shape. You may want to use elastic bands to hold the shape in place until the glue dries.
5. If using paint, paint the rock shape once it dries to resemble your rock of choice.
6. Carefully cut out all of the quartz nets, cutting along the exterior line. Note that the crystal form for quartz consists of two nets (hexagonal prism and hexagonal pyramid). Each net is marked with a letter, the hexagonal prisms and the hexagonal pyramids with the same letters will fit together.
7. Place a straight edge along the interior lines of each of the nets and trace over them with the blunt side of a butter knife. This will make the next step easier.
8. Fold along all of the internal lines as sharply as possible.
9. Start with the hexagonal pyramid (the net made from triangles). Place glue on the grey tab and attach it to the back of the triangle on the opposite side of the net.
10. Next complete the hexagonal prism (the net made from rectangles). Place glue on the long grey tab and attach it to the back of the rectangle on the opposite side of the net.
11. Glue the hexagonal prism and the hexagonal pyramid with the same letter together by placing glue on the smaller grey tabs and attaching them to the inside of the hexagonal pyramid.
12. Complete all quartz crystals and set aside to dry.
13. Cut or rip the tissue paper into 2-3cm pieces.
14. In your small container mix 1 part water and 1 part glue.
15. Using your glue mixture and pieces of tissue paper, cover the outside of all of your quartz crystals. If you would like a shinier finish you can cover your crystals in a finishing layer of glue mixture. Set aside to dry.
16. Stuff the inside of your quartz crystals with pieces of another piece of kraft paper.
17. Glue your quartz crystals to the rock base made in steps 2-4 and let dry.
18. Using the remaining tissue paper and more glue mixture, fill in any gaps between the crystals and cover where the crystals attach to the rock base.
19. You may add shimmer to your quartz crystal cluster using glue mixture and the mica glitter. Set aside to dry.
20. Once dry you can display and enjoy your quartz crystal cluster.