Make Bubbles With Your Hands and Breathe From Them!

In this Instructable I will attempt to teach you how to make bubbles with some soap, water and your own bare hands. Following these instructions carefully will hopefully allow you to make the biggest bubbles you have ever seen, and as an extra bonus, you will be able to breathe straight from them! I thought this was common knowledge, but I have never seen anyone else do this nor could I find an Instructable on it, so I decided I would give it a shot. This is very easy to do and doesn't cost anything at all (unless you're a dirty pig and you don't have soap), so you can try it right after you read this.

I learned this by myself when I was about 10, playing with soap on the shower. The largest bubble I have ever made that did not pop was 12 inches in diameter, so I can confidently say that with this method you will produce BIG bubbles. It still fascinates me and will keep doing so!

WARNING: Blowing bubbles using this method can be highly addictive and you could unconsciously spend hours doing this without any notion of time. Please use responsively.

There are image notes on every picture that will give you extra tips and help you understand how to do this. If you enjoy this Instructable, I would very much appreciate it if you would rate it. Thanks in advance!

Step 1: Go to the Bathroom!

Alright, the first thing you should do is go to the bathroom or any other place that has a sink. The bathroom works best for me because there is a mirror where I can observe my beauty for ages and get inspiration. Just kidding. O.K., so you're at the sink. You will need soap and water. I have found liquid soap is your best choice. If you don't have any, then a soap bar works too. As to what brand, it doesn't matter. I know they sell that bubbly soap for blowing bubbly bubbles, but trust me, as long as it's soap and not mustard, then you're fine.

Step 2: Getting Ready to Blow the Bubble

This is by far the most important step. The consistency of the soap is what will make your bubble stay intact or not. Wet your hands with comfortably warm water and take a bit of soap with the hand you want to blow the bubble with. Put your hand in the position shown in the first picture and rub your index finger and thumb. Then, slowly open your fingers to form a circle and see if a soap membrane has been formed (Pic. 2). If not, you probably need more water. Slightly wet your hand again and try a few more times. If it fails, try wetting your hand one more time, rub and try again. Keep doing it until you feel there isn't any soap left. If you still don't have a membrane, start the process again from the beginning. If you keep having troubles, you are probably doing something wrong:

- When you wet your hand, don't overwet it, if you know what I mean. Just a slight hint of water will do the trick.
- Be careful when opening your fingers, If you do it too fast, the membrane will break.
- If it doesn't work AT ALL, then try getting another soap.
- Keep doing it until the opening of the fingers becomes a natural movement.
- PRACTICE!

I have probably written too many instructions on this, it really is very easy. Move on to the next step if you have that membrane.

Step 3: Blow the Bubble!

You are almost there. Hold your hand about 4 or 5 inches away from your mouth and slowly blow. The membrane will start to flicker, blow a little bit harder and the bubble will start to form. To keep the bubble "alive", keep blowing at a constant rate. If your membrane or bubble pops, try step 2 again and see if you can get a thicker membrane. I know my membrane is thick enough when I can see the rainbow colors on it from the soap. Also, you have to know your limits. Don't expect a HUGE bubble the first time, it will likely be medium-sized. Proceed to the next step to know how to close the bubble and admire your work of art.

Step 4: Close the Bubble

So, you are blowing the bubble and you need to stop before it pops. If you simply stop blowing, the bubble will deflate and you will have the membrane again. What you have to do is, while blowing, close your fingers into the rubbing position. Then you will be free to open them again and do whatever you please with it. Go to the next step to look at some fun things to do with it.

Step 5: Mess With It!

Some things I like to do that I find amusing:

- Turn your hand upside down and start moving your arm as if you were dribbling a basketball. The bubble will move in a very unique and funny way, won't fall and won't pop.

- Separate the bubble into two different bubbles by taking your free hand and slowly approaching the bubble from the other end. Once your bubble is touching both palms, separate your hands and the bubble will divide in two! You can do this as many times as you please. I have even gotten two bubbles to fuse into one by bringing them together slowly.

- Stick your finger in the bubble. Do this very slowly with a wet finger that has about the same density of soap as the hand holding the bubble. This is very delicate and takes practice, but it is pretty interesting to see how it doesn't pop. Once you are in, you can move your finger around the surface and the hole will only be around where your finger is at that particular moment.

- Let the bubble float and try to keep it floating! This can be very fun. Move your hand in circles so that the centrifugal force forces it away from your hand. The bubble then becomes a perfect sphere and slowly descends to the bottom. Blow on it to keep it from reaching the floor popping!

- I personally don't smoke, but if you do, you can inhale the smoke and exhale it when making the bubble. Then it will be white and you will see the smoke floating inside it. If you pop it, the smoke will be released and it will produce a beautiful effect.

Go to the next step to see how to breathe the air inside the bubble.

Step 6: Breathe From It

I discovered this by accident while trying to kiss the bubble without popping it. The easiest way to breathe from it is to hold it in your palm and open a membrane again outside the bubble. If instead of blowing, you inhale in front of it, the membrane will fuse with the bubble and you will breathe air from the bubble that tastes like soap. It is fun to see how the bubble decreases in size as you keep breathing. I am warning you, if you do this a lot, you will eventually get dizzy or a headache, so don't abuse it.

I have only gotten this method to work twice, the first time was when I discovered it. You do not need to open a membrane, what you have to do is approach the bubble, "kiss" it, and breathe. The "key" to getting inside a bubble is the temperature and soap density of the body trying to enter it. If you have dry, cold lips, and your bubble is warm, then you won't be able to penetrate it. Experiment and you will eventually get it.


This concludes my first Instructable! I hope you have enjoyed it and that you get to impress other people with this.


-Gnome