Dissolve a substance in hot water until no more will dissolve
Pour the solution into a clean container
Let it cool slowly and sit undisturbed
Wait for crystals to form
Remove the crystals from the liquid
Let the crystals dry on a paper towel
Use sugar, salt, alum, or borax for different crystal types
Tie a string to a pencil and suspend it in the solution for larger crystals
Add a seed crystal to the solution to grow bigger crystals
Keep the container in a stable place away from vibration
Filter the solution before crystallizing if needed
Repeat the process with a more concentrated solution for larger crystals