How to Make Glass Tubes at Home
In recent years we have seen an increase in the popularity of glass tubes that can be used as decorations around kids’ rooms and hallways. However, with some ingenuity and creativity, you too can make these nifty pieces yourself without having to purchase them! With some common materials, you can create your own unique glass tube decorations that will liven up any room. All you need is a glass tube, some paints and markers, and a few other supplies.
Looking for an interesting DIY project? Why not try making glass tubes at home! Although they may not seem like the typical DIY project, they’re actually quite easy to make. This tutorial will walk you through everything from setting up your workspace to adding the finishing touches. So if you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make glass tubes at home, now’s your chance!
Materials Needed
- A small beaker or test tube
- Borax
- Salicylic acid
- Plastic wrap
- Scissors
- Rubber gloves
- Safety goggles or glasses
- Wooden dowel rod
Instructions: How to Make Glass Tubes at Home
Step One: Prepare the Work Area
This is one of those projects that you want to do outside or in a well-ventilated area. Make sure you have your gloves and safety goggles on before starting! Carve a pumpkin using your chosen pattern. When carving the face, do not cut through the rind all the way.
Step Two: Mixing Borax with Salicylic Acid
For this project to work, both borax powder and salicylic acid must be mixed very closely. The ratio should always be 50/50 no matter what substance they react to create glass tubes at home. The borax powder is normally sprinkled in the mold before pouring a mixture of salicylic acid and water.
To start, put ½ cup of borax into a small bowl, then slowly add ¼ cup of white salicylic acid until there is an even layer on top. Then wait patiently as this mixture reacts for about five minutes while stirring periodically. After about five minutes, you will begin to see a white film form on top of the mixture. Once this film has formed, add in 1 cup of water (slightly warm or room temperature is fine) and mix until the borax and salicylic acid have completely dissolved.
Step Three: Adding Calcium Chloride to the Mixture
This step may be optional. You can try this out and see if it makes a difference in your final product. Add ½ cup of calcium chloride powder into an empty bowl, then mix until there is no clumping or bumps on top before adding ¼ cup of the borax-salicylic acid mixture from Step Two. Mix again for about five minutes, periodically stirring, as you did with the previous mixture.
Step Four: Testing for Sufficiently Mixed Ingredients
If everything were mixed properly, one drop would form a string when dropped onto a paper towel (you’ll need a few pieces handy). If not, keep mixing! Once satisfied that all the ingredients have been sufficiently mixed, take the bowl over to one of your glass tubes and repeat Step One: Fill Glass Tubes with Borax-Salicylic Acid Mixture.
Step Five: Capping Your Tube
If you want a cap for your tube, cut off the end of an old balloon (after deflating) or any other product that is large enough to fit around the top opening to make it airtight. If not interested in caps, then skip this step altogether.
Step Six: Use Tape on Both Sides of Cap Before Filling with Hot Water
Tape down both sides before filling each tube ¼ way up and allow them all to cool overnight without removing tape until they are dry.
Step Seven: Remove Tapes and Fill Tube with Soap or Other Contents
Remove the tape, fill your tube to ¾ of the way up, then re-tape both sides. Use a sharp object such as a nail or knife to create small holes at the top for air bubbles (if any) to escape from the inside before filling it all the way up with soap.
Conclusion
Glass tubes are great for any number of purposes, from holding an array of small objects to serving as a vase. Glass tubing is perfect for all sorts of DIY projects like making your own small water fountain or even installing in-floor heating under hardwood floors. Plus, it looks really cool when used as decorative elements in both commercial and residential settings.
In this post, We have shown you how to make glass tubes at home. This is an easy project that takes just a few hours! Plus, it’s super inexpensive and can be done with items found in the house that you might already have them lying around the house!
It sounds simple enough, but if you want to add color or glitter, then get ready for hours of fun crafts time! Let us know what you think about this DIY Glass Tube Project below, and don’t forget to share your creations with us!
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