DIY Giant Bubble Wands and Solution ROCK!
Oh my goodness! This Easy DIY Giant Bubble Wands and Solution are a hit with young and old alike. I can’t tell you how much fun we’ve had with this simple craft.
Bubble Making Memories
When I was a kid, my older brother experimented with making all kinds of bubble making contraptions. They were twisted wire shapes that made bubbles inside of bubbles and I was so intrigued.
When I saw someone make giant bubbles at an art fair, it stirred those memories and I was determined to give it a go. I started experimenting last fall but just couldn’t get the giant bubble wands and solution to work right.
Experimenting to get the right combinations
This spring we began the second set of experimenting. I changed the type of string I was using on the giant bubble wands as well as added more soap and glycerin to the bubble solution.
Papa came in from his work on the farm and was the first to be entertained by the Easy DIY Giant Bubble Wand and Solution. We hooted and hollered like kids!!
Making DIY Giant Bubble Wands
Firstly, take a ¾ inch diameter dowel rod and cut it into two equal pieces about 1 ½ to 2 feet long each.
Tip: I used some walking sticks that I had around the house but they are too long for the kids. They work well for adults and allow taller people to put the bubbles high up in the air but they are clumsy for the younger grands. I’m going to make a second set that are shorter.
Screw a small screw eye hook into one end of each dowel rod.
Tip: We used a drill with a small drill bit in the end of each of our sticks to make a small lead hole to prevent splitting when we screwed in the screw eye.Not sure this is necessary, but it worked well.
Add string to the dowel rods-
Secondly, cut two pieces of butchers string. One piece will be 40 inches long, the other will be 80 inches long. These lengths worked well for us, but the 1 to 2 ratio is what is important. Make yours shorter or longer if you want to experiment.
Tie each of the two ends of the 40 inch piece string to one of the two eye screws.
Slip one or two large washers onto the 80 inch piece of string.
Tie the second 80 inch piece of string to the two eye screws.
Tip: I tied the ends of the two pieces of string on each eye screw together.
Tip: I tied a knot right above the washers to keep them at the ½ point of the 80 inch string. This really helped keep the string from tangling.
Easy Peasy!
That’s it. This will be one of the best 15 minute crafts you’ve ever made!
DIY Giant Bubble Solution
And finally, drumroll, the giant bubble solution, it's the secret sauce! Ha!
The recipe for the bubble solution is found below.
We used a large ice cream bucket to mix the solution. (Don’t ask me why I have those sitting around in my garage!!)
Make ahead for best results
It works best to mix the soap, baking powder and glycerin together first. Then add the water and stir gently. Stir gently before each time you use the solution for bubble making but try not to make a lot of frothy bubbles while stirring if possible.
Tip: It helps to leave the giant bubble solution sitting overnight before using it. I don’t know why, but it works better that way.
Now comes the FUN part!! Giant bubbles!!
Take one giant bubble wand in each hand and hold them close together.
Let the washers go into the solution first, like you are fishing,🙂 then let all of the string fall down into the bubble solution.
Tip: Most importantly, don’t stir the string around in the solution or it will get tangled up.
Pull the string and washer straight up with the wands still close together until the washer leaves the solution. Then widen out the wands until the string stretches out into a giant triangle shape.
The solution will stretch out between the strings and a breeze will catch it and stretch out your bubble! But if there isn’t a breeze just step backwards yourself.
Isn't it the coolest thing???
The grands discovered that if you put the wands back together you can make large bubbles that let loose from the string and float up in the air.
Of course lots of them pop, but keep experimenting until you get the hang of it. It is amazing!
The giant bubbles are so beautiful when the sun shines on them and they shimmer with the colors of the rainbow!!
Take some pictures and let me see what summer fun you make happen with the grands and DIY Giant Bubble Wands and Solution!!
Supplies For DIY Giant Bubble Wands and Solution:
- Dowel rod- ¾ inch round and 48 inches long, cut in 2
- Butchers String- this is a heavier cotton string which can also be used in cooking
- one 40 inch piece and one 80 inch piece
- 2 small screw eyes
- 1 or 2 large washers
- Bubble mix (recipe below)
- Tub (to put mix in)
Giant Bubble Recipe
- 2 cups Dawn dishwashing soap
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 4 tablespoon glycerin (find it in pharmacy or with cake decorating supplies)
- 8 cups water (½ gallon)- I used distilled
Tip: I plan to mix up the Giant Bubble Solution a gallon at a time and keep it in my garage. This is fun for adults AND kids and I know we will have it out over and over during the summer!!
Enjoy!
Welcome to Nana’s! Where there’s fun things to do with your “grand” kids!
Come join the fun atwww.WelcomeToNanas.com
