The Epsom Salt Hack That'll Add A Touch Of Last-Minute Holiday Magic To Your Home

If you're wanting to make your home look even more magical after all your Christmas decorations are already up, this Epsom salt hack is simple, easy, and inexpensive. With just a little water, Epsom salt, and dish soap, you can make your windows appear to be frosted. Even if you live in a warmer climate or don't expect snow during the holidays, your glass windows will look like a winter wonderland. Unfortunately, this project works best on glass and isn't suitable for plastic windows. If you don't want to totally cover your windows, this can also be done on any piece of glass, such as a picture frame or mirror.

Because frosting your windows will only take a few minutes and the ingredients required aren't costly, this is a great activity to do with kids — or on your own — for a fun and festive DIY. At Target, a 4-pound bag of Epsom salt is just under $4, but it can also be found at most pharmacies and grocery stores.

To start frosting your windows, you'll need ½ cup of boiling water, ⅓ cup of Epsom salt, and about a teaspoon of dish soap. Pour your magnesium sulfate into the hot water and stir to dissolve. You can put the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds — if there are still pieces of salt in the water — to ensure it's fully dissolved. By heating the water, you can make a supersaturated solution. Once the water cools and evaporates, the salt will crystalize and form your frost.

After your Epsom salt has totally dissolved in your water, you can either add your dishwashing liquid directly to your solution or spread a thin layer of soap over the glass. Now, dunk a cloth or paper towel into your mixture and wipe it onto your window. In just a couple of minutes, crystals will start to develop, making your windows look frosty and festive. To create different effects, you can write on the window using your finger or the eraser side of a pencil to alter the way the salt crystallizes. When the holiday season is over, simply remove your DIY frost with a wet cloth.