Time for a confession -- I'm a total rock geek.

Ever since I was a kid, I've picked up the dullest, blandest rocks, collected them in piles until they overflowed on my shelves, hid under my bed, found their way into my backpack. I've always thought they were beautiful. I guess I had some stupid, childish hope that if I cracked them open, clear, smooth crystals would be hidden on the inside, contrasting the ugly exterior.

So when I stumbled across this simple tutorial on the web, I had to try it out! It's a do-it-yourself science experiment growing your own geode in only a few hours. All the credit for the idea goes to Martha Stewart and her genius home-making empire.

Here's what you need:

1. Blown-out eggshell
2. Alum powder
3. White glue
4. Paintbrush
5. Hot water
6. Food coloring
7. Spoon
8. Latex gloves
9. Newspaper

Now let's start growing our own geodes!

1. Poke two small holes in an egg, one on either end. and gently blow the egg out of the shell. Once the shell is empty, take a small pair of scissors and cut the egg lengthwise so that you have two halves.
2. With the paintbrush, apply a layer of white glue to the inside of the egg half. Once the concave is coated in glue, sprinkle with alum powder. Allow to dry overnight.
3. After waiting at least 6 hours, prepare your "growing solution." Boil 2 cups of water and add in a minimum of 30 drops of food coloring, the more drops, the more pigmented the geode. Fewer drops produce faintly colored, almost transparent, crystals, which are also quite beautiful. You can even skip the dye, the crystals come out clear and milky, like quartz.
4. I suggest wearing latex gloves to protect your hands from the dye. Add 3/4 cup of alum powder and stir with the spoon until the powder is completely dissolved.
5. Remove the solution from heat and let it cool down slightly for about 30 minutes. 
6. Pour into the plastic container and submerge the egg shell. Allow it to rest on the bottom of the container with the alum-coated side facing up.
7. Set it aside and let the crystals grow, undisturbed, overnight. The longer they're allowed to sit, the larger the crystallization. I recommend shooting for 12-15 hours.
8. Put gloves on to avoid staining hands with the dye. Remove the geode from the solution VERY CAREFULLY, I learned the hard way that the crystals are fragile before they've fully dried.
9. Place the egg on newspaper and let it dry completely before handling it.

And there you go! This can be a festive decorating idea for Easter, coming up in a few months, or just a pretty thing to set on the shelf. I leave mine out all year, dyed varying shades of blue and green to compliment the colors of room.