Stalagmites and stalactites

After visiting a cave exhibit at the zoo, we decided to try to make our own stalagmites and stalactites. We dissolved as much Epsom salt as we could into hot water and divided it into 4 empty baby food jars. We added different food color to each jar and then hung strings between them - some wool and some cotton. Each string was weighted down on either end with a paperclip. The idea was that the water/salt mixture would go along the strings and drop down near the middle where the strings dipped a little. Over time, this should cause some crystals to grow down from the string where the water was dripping from and grow up from the container where the water dripped to. Unfortunately, the liquid never made it up any of the strings, so we never got any stalagmites and stalactites. However, crystals started growing both around the rim of the jars and on the outside sides, and even around the outside base of the jars! We didn't expect that - and it saved our experiment from complete disaster.