How to Make Giant Bubbles | Homemade bubble juice & bubble wands

Photography copyright Maggie Shackelford Photography

Giant bubbles cause giant smiles!
It’s easier than you think to create bubble wands and a batch of bubble juice to share with friends at events, gatherings, or even just for a fun day in the backyard!

Follow the directions in our blog, and you’ll learn my secret recipe for giant bubbles (the key ingredient will probably surprise you!) and how to make your own giant bubble wand.

Please note: This project is accessible to most ages; however, using the giant bubble wand can be tricky for younger children (2-4 years old). I let them try, and I also have smaller wands available so they can have a successful experience. These wands produce such delightfully large bubbles that they are worth making even if younger children can’t produce them themselves!

GIANT BUBBLE WANDS

Materials

• Two sticks or wooden dowels 2-3 feet in length (about ½ inch diameter)
• Two small eyelet screws
• One washer (heavy enough to weigh down the cord)
• A long strand of cotton or wool yarn*, 6-8 feet per wand. (You can also use ⅛” cotton piping cord.)

*Note: you must use yarn or cord made from natural materials. Synthetic (acrylic) yarn won’t work for bubble wands.

Method

1. Screw the eyelet screws into one end of both the sticks or dowels.

   
   
   
   
2. Cut 6-8 feet of yarn or cording, and slide the washer to the middle of the yarn.
   
   
   
   
3. Thread one end of the yarn through one of the eyelet screws and the other end of the yarn through the other eyelet screw.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Create a circle by connecting the yarn ends with a square knot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Trim the ends, and your bubble wand is ready to make bubbles!
   
   
   

BUBBLE JUICE RECIPES

Making giant bubbles requires a “stickier” bubble juice than smaller bubbles. Here are several recipes for bubbles, including some specifically for giant bubbles.

#1: Basic Bubble Juice Recipe

This recipe is a good starting point for making your own bubble juice. It's best for smaller bubbles, but combine it with Recipe #2 for larger bubbles.

Materials

• 4 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup blue Dawn dish soap (for some reason, the “blue stuff” works best for bubbles!)

Method

1. Combine the sugar and water in a bowl.
2. Whisk the sugar into the warm water until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the dish soap and gently whisk to combine. (Try to make as few bubbles as possible when whisking!)
4. Let the mixture sit for at least two hours (or as long as overnight).

#2: Better than Basic Bubble Juice Recipe

This recipe uses all the ingredients in Recipe #1 plus a thickening agent to help larger bubbles hold together.

Materials

• Materials from the Basic Bubble Recipe from the previous page
• One of the following thickening agents:
  • 1 tablespoon of baking powder
  • ½ cup of cornstarch
  • ¼ cup vegetable glycerine

Method

1. Following the Basic Bubble Recipe, combine the sugar and warm water. After the sugar dissolves in the water, add one of the thickening agents above and whisk into the mixture until combined.
2. Add the dish soap and gently whisk to combine. (Try to make as few bubbles as possible!)
3. Let the mixture sit for at least two hours (or as long as overnight).

#3: Bigger than Basic: Giant Bubble Juice Recipe

This is my secret giant bubble recipe. It uses a surprising ingredient: personal lubricant. You can also use a veterinary-grade lubricant called J-Lube, which is much more affordable.*

Materials

• 12 cups of water
• 1 cup Dawn dishwashing soap
• 3 ounces of personal lubricant (or J-Lube*)
• 1/2 cup – 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoon baking powder

*J-Lube comes in a powdered form that is unsafe for children and pets. The powder is dangerous to ingest and must be stored out of the reach of children and pets. Using J-Lube is my favorite way to make bubble juice. I store and mix the powder away from children to avoid any dangers.

Method

1. Warm the water on the stove.
2. Add cornstarch and baking powder to the warm water and stir until dissolved.
3. Let cool.
4. Add dish soap and lubricant once the water has cooled.

#4: Purchase Giant Bubble Mix

If you don't want to source obscure products, you can purchase powdered mixes. Bubbleventi makes a mix that has worked well for me over the years.
They also sell a kit with the bubble mix and two pre-made giant bubble wands.
(Birthday or holiday gift tip: I’ve found that the single wand and mix bundle make a great gift!)

Materials (as listed on the Bubbleventi Recipe)

• 3-4 Tablespoons of Bubbleventi Bubble Mix
• One gallon of warm water
• 6 oz of ULTRA Dawn, Joy, Gain, or Palmolive (the Ultra version is important for this recipe)

Method

1. Follow the instructions on the bottle and mix all ingredients.
2. Let sit for at least an hour before use.

Bubble wands and bubbles are a massive hit with people of all ages! I recently made giant bubbles at a May Day festival and delighted in the joy it brought. Children and adults smiled and cheered as they watched the giant bubbles dance across the meadow.

Follow the directions in this blog, and you’ll be making giant bubbles in no time!

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