Make Bubbles

What's not to love about making bubbles? They shimmer, they shine, they rise into the air, and then, pop! They burst. Learn now to choose bubble solution, pick out a bubble wand, and start blowing.

Steps

Decide on a Bubble Solution

  1. Buy bubble solution. Toy stores, drug stores, and dollar stores carry bubble solution that usually comes in small plastic bottles with plastic bubble wands. Buying a ready-made kit is probably the quickest, easiest way to go from bored to bubble-blowing, and when you're finished you can screw the cap back on and put it aside until you want to blow bubbles again.
  2. Make basic bubble solution. If you have liquid soap and water, you can make bubble solution. Just mix up 1 part soap to 4 parts water in a jar, cup or bowl in preparation for bubble-blowing. There are a few things to keep in mind when you mix up a homemade solution:
    • Different soaps result in different types of bubbles. Experiment with dish soap, body soap, baby soap, and other soapy liquid washes.
    • If you dilute the soap too much with water, the bubbles will be thin, and may break almost as soon as you blow them.
  3. Enhance your bubble solution. Once you have a basic bubble solution mixed up, you make it unique by adding ingredients that change the texture and color.
    • Adding a little sugar, corn syrup, corn starch, or glycerin can thicken the solution and result in stronger bubbles. Experiment with different amounts of sugar or starch to make bubbles that last a long time before they pop.
    • Add a bit of food coloring. Bubbles naturally take on a beautiful iridescent rainbow hue, but you can also customize them and make them your favorite color. Simply add a couple of drops of food coloring to the mix.
    • Experiment with other ingredients. Ever wondered if you could blow a bubble with something inside it? Try adding tiny flower petals, glitter, or other small materials to the mix to see what results you end up with.

Pick Out a Bubble Wand

  1. Buy a bubble wand. If you buy bubble solution from the store, it's likely to come with a small plastic wand. Bubble wands are usually a few inches in length, with a handle on one side and a plastic circle with a hole on the other. The circle is dipped into bubble solution, and you blow through the hole to make bubbles.
    • You can also buy a giant bubble-blowing kit. These come with a big wand with a net that is capable of making very large bubbles.
    • You may also be able to find wands of different shapes and sizes, and other decorative wands, in toy stores and dollar stores.
  2. Make a small bubble wand. Bubble wands don't have to be made out of plastic. Most any material with a hole in it can be used to blow bubbles. Try using the following materials to make a wand:
    • Bend the top of a pipe cleaner into a circle shape, then bend the tip of the circle around the shaft of the pipe cleaner to create a wand shape. Experiment with different shapes for the blower part - make a heart, star, or square instead of a circle.
    • Use a wire dipper used for dying eggs.
    • Make a Bubble Blower to make a hole, then use tape to keep the hole in place.
    • Use the holes in a slotted spoon or other kitchen utensil.
    • For the sake of experimentation, try using an onion ring or a thick slice of an apple that has been cored.
  3. Make a giant bubble wand. If you want to blow huge bubbles, your wand needs netting over the hole to stabilize the bubbles as they are created. Take the following steps to make your own big bubble wand:
    • Unbend a coat hanger to make it into one straight wire.
    • Bend one end of the wire into a circle shape.
    • Fasten the tip of the circle to the straight part of the wire with some pliers.
    • Wrap wire netting (chicken wire, for example) around the circle and use the pliers to secure it in place.

Make Bubbles

  1. Find the right setting. Bubbles look beautiful when the sun highlights their rainbow colors, so it's best to blow them outdoors. Blowing bubbles inside the house is usually not a good idea, since bursting bubbles make a mess that's difficult to clean, especially if they're made with sugar or food coloring. Plan to blow your bubbles in an open space, like your backyard or in a park.
  2. Blow tiny bubbles. Whether you're using a store-bought bubble kit or you made your own solution and blower, the technique for blowing small bubbles is the same:
    • Dip the part of the wand containing a hole, whether it's a circle or another shape, in the bubble solution. You'll see a thin membrane of solution stretched over the hole.
    • Hold it up to your mouth and gently blow.
    • The membrane will form a bubble and detach from your wand to float away in the breeze. Blow faster to make lots of tiny bubbles. Blow slower to make bigger bubbles!
  3. Make giant bubbles. Pour a few inches of bubble solution into a shallow tray. Lay your giant bubble wand in the solution, then gently lift it up. You should see a thin membrane of swirling bubble solution stretched across the wand. Gently wave the wand through the air so that the solution membrane begins to stretch out behind the wand. Eventually the membrane will form a giant, undulating bubble.
    • Try walking quickly or running with the wand to make an even bigger bubble.
    • Hold the wand high above your head so the bubble has more time to float around before it hits the ground and bursts.
  4. Play bubble games. Invent some fun and imaginative games to play with your bubbles. Have a contest for who can blow the most bubbles, whose bubble is the biggest, who can pop the most bubbles, and whose bubbles last the longest.



Tips

  • To enjoy bubbles without going to the effort of blowing them, you can buy a bubble maker. These electric machines float bubbles into the air for hours at a time, and are the perfect way to enhance outdoor birthday parties or wedding receptions.
  • Some bubble solutions create stronger bubbles. These tend to be thicker solutions.
  • If you make your own bubble solution and want a much stronger bubble solution, you can add about a teaspoon of glycerin then stir, you will have to let it sit for about 24 hours for it to be fully mixed.
  • For a good smell add shampoo or bodywash.

Warnings

  • When bubbles burst, they can irritate sensitive skin or the areas around your eyes. Be careful.

Do not eat bubbles, they taste bad.

Things You'll Need

  • Bubble solution, either store-bought or made from the following ingredients:
    • Liquid soap
    • Water
    • Corn syrup, sugar or corn starch (optional)
    • Food coloring (optional)
    • Glycerin (optional)
  • Bubble blower, either store-bought or made from the following supplies:
    • Piece of wire
    • Pipe cleaner
    • Slotted spoon
    • Hanger and chicken wire

Related Articles

  • Make Giant Bubble Mix

Sources and Citations

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