Frozen soap bubbles

SquarePeg · Dec 30, 2017

It’s that time of year. Time to try to convince myself that the cold has its uses. Saw this online yesterday and decided to try it. It was easy enough to make the bubble solution (water, dish soap and corn syrup) and the deck is out of the wind so I just stepped out the door and was ready to go. For those who don’t know, the bubble solution surrounds a layer of water and when the water freezes it makes really cool shapes and crystals in the middle layer before the bubble eventually pops. Going to try this again next time it’s cold with more interesting light. Also I need better backgrounds to make the bubbles show up more and have to work out something to kneel on in the snow as my focus was off on quite a few due to camera shake on my part trying to crouch and keep my balance and not land on my butt in the snow on the deck. Anyway, the results...

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Dnw4gp]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2328nA6]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/J5qTfB]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ETsXHj]

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CherylL · Dec 30, 2017

These turned out great! What is your recipe for the parts? I tried this last year with a child's bubbles and didn't work. Too windy.

tirediron · Dec 30, 2017

Nice! With any luck I'll never be able to reproduce those images!

SquarePeg · Dec 30, 2017

CherylL said:
These turned out great! What is your recipe for the parts? I tried this last year with a child's bubbles and didn't work. Too windy.

Yes the wind will kill this experiment right out of the gate. I used a red solo cup 3/4 filled with water, filled the rest with dawn dishwashing detergent and about three big glops of corn syrup. Very precise I know. Stir and maybe chill first might help since the longer I was out there the easier it was to get the bubbles to form. Used a straw to make the bubbles right on the railing.

SquarePeg · Dec 30, 2017

Here’s what it looks like when it pops.

smoke665 · Dec 30, 2017

That is so cool!!!! Thanks for sharing. Maybe the cold weather is a good thing, as it seems to be bringing out the creativity today!!!!

Dean_Gretsch · Dec 30, 2017

Hmm...so what purpose does the corn syrup serve? Very cool crystal shapes! I may have to try this too. Thanks! Could you use food coloring to enhance the ability to see the bubbles?

SquarePeg · Dec 30, 2017

I believe in this case it’s a thickener to strengthen the bubbles. Some people also use sugar.

Dean_Gretsch · Dec 30, 2017

Did you try making a little snowperson with three varying sized bubbles?

SquarePeg · Dec 30, 2017

Dean_Gretsch said:
Did you try making a little snowperson with three varying sized bubbles?

Great idea but it’s really not that easy to get one bubble to form on a surface without breaking when you’re outside in the freezing cold let alone three different size bubbles connected.

Derrel · Dec 30, 2017

Dean_Gretsch said:
Did you try making a little snowperson with three varying sized bubbles?

Whoa,whoa,whoa! Building bubble snow people requires an aesthetician's certificate and state board licensing in virtually all the cold-weather states! I don't think she's qualified/licensed for that kinda' activity!

Dean_Gretsch · Dec 30, 2017

Darn. I was thinking of trying triangular stacks with different food colors!

snowbear · Dec 30, 2017

I have to try this.

These reminded me of Sharon M's frozen bubbles.

SquarePeg · Dec 30, 2017

Dean_Gretsch said:
Darn. I was thinking of trying triangular stacks with different food colors!

I did consider adding some food coloring when the blue dish detergent didn't really show up. But, all we have left after the holidays is neon colors. I may give those a try tomorrow if the weather is still as cold.