Bubbles - Good Neighbors of Park Slope

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Bubble Making Interest Group

On this page you can learn:

How to make a great bubble formula

What you need to know about 3 types of bubble wicks

How to make your own bubble wand

How to manipulate the bubble wand to produce the best bubbles

Where you can buy good wands for children to use

How Good Neighbors can help you get started making bubbles

Here's an easy to make bubble juice formula that creates big, durable bubbles:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup Dawn dish soap
1 1/4 teaspoons-Lube powder. This can be purchased on Amazon. One bottle of J-Lube can make about 50 buckets of bubble juice.
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 1/2 quarts of water

Instructions for making bubble juice:

Use a new dedicated pail. Residue on an old pail will contaminate the juice and make the bubble burst faster.
Put soap into pail.
Add the J-Lube powder and the baking powder and mix thoroughly.
Add a 3 1/2 quarts of water and mix throughly again.

This juice can be used immediately and can last for more than a week.

The bubble juice is very slimy and slippery. Be careful not to leak it over your floors.

The bubbles are so durable, they can bounce on water.

Here's what you need to know about bubble wicks

The size of the bubble depends on the size of the openings in the bubble wick.
The bigger the opening, the bigger the bubble can be.
There are 3 types of bubble wicks:

Single-loop wicks can be made as large as 70 inches wide and will make the biggest bubbles.

This is a single-loop wick:

Garland wicks can make many medium-sized bubbles.

This is a garland wick.

Net wicks have smaller openings and can make foam bubbles.

net wick pic

This is a net wick.

An important thing to remember is that the bigger the bubble, the less wind it will tolerate. The best conditions for bigger bubbles is a calm day with little wind. If the wind is absolutely still, you can walk backwards to make your own slight wind. Garland wicks are good for medium wind and net wicks only work in high wind. Always try to keep the wind at your back; otherwise, the bubble with blow on you.

How to make a bubble wand with triangle wick

Equipment Needed:

2 3/8 inch X 48 inch wooden dowels)
2 Screw Eyes 1 1/16 inch)
2 Swivel Clasps Lanyard Snap Hooks
Cotton string, cotton clothesline, cotton twill tape, or cotton mop rope. 9 to 18 feet, depending on how large you want your wand.
3 4-inch Zip Ties
1 hexagonal nut to weigh down string

Instructional video:

Video: How to manipulate the bubble wand to produce the best bubbles

TIPS:

Try to keep the wind at your back.

Make sure the bubble wick is totally soaked.

Use smooth movements; don't jerk the wand.

Raise the rods together as high as you can then slowly open them as wide and smoothly as you can.

Once the bubble forms, slowly close the rods together to make a sphere.

Wands for children to use:

You can order these light-weight wands for children on Amazon or directly from the the South Beach Bubble Store.

kids bubble wands

HOW GOOD NEIGHBORS CAN HELP YOU GET STARTED MAKING BUBBLES:

If you'd like a free one-on-one lesson in blowing bubbles or if you want to borrow bubble equipment for a special event like a birthday party or street party, email bubbles@goodneighborsofparkslope.org and leave your name, and telephone number.

Happy Bubbling...

Thank you, Susan Fox, for this beautiful picture.