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How to Create Bubble Snakes

by Jean Van't Hul
July 1, 2022
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Use a water bottle and an old sock to create bubble snakes! This fun action art activity makes colorful and unique designs!

Updated July 2022

Have you ever made bubble prints?

Whether your answer is yes or no, you’re in for a treat.

Bubble printing is a pretty awesome action art activity on its own but combine it with super fun bubble snakes and you can take it to a whole new level of fun. It also makes a great outdoor art activity!

We’re going to share with you how to make colorful bubble snakes with materials you already have around the house. Then we’ll show you how to use those bubble snakes to make amazing bubble prints!

bubble snakes pin
Photo by Andrea Martelle

How to Create Bubble Snakes

MATERIALS

  • Plastic water bottle (a cardboard tube also works and you can get either one from the recycle bin!)
  • Old sock or some cheesecloth
  • Rubber band
  • Food coloring
  • Liquid dish soap (or bubble solution)
  • Poster board or other large paper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Create your bubble snake maker

    First, cut the plastic water bottle in half using a utility knife. This part is definitely an adult’s job. 

    Now, cut the top half of the sock off and pull the toe end over the cut end of the water bottle. Secure with a rubber band if necessary.

    We liked using white socks because we could see our food coloring colors well, but any color would work.

  2. Add food coloring

    Dab two or more colors of food coloring onto the sock-covered end of the water bottle.

    applying dye to bubble snake

    We mostly used gel food coloring, which created especially intense colors in the prints. But regular food coloring works, too!

    food coloring on bubble snake blower

  3. Dip into bubble solution

    Mix liquid dish soap and water in a bowl or use bubble solution.

    Dip the sock-covered end of your bubble snake maker into the solution.

    dipping bubble snake wand into solution

  4. Blow bubble snakes

    Blow through the small hole of your bubble snake maker (the mouth of the water bottle) and watch the mass of tiny, colorful bubbles form at the other end.

    starting a bubble snake

    Continue to blow and your mass of bubbles turns into a longer and longer bubble snake!

    bubbles from tube

  5. Make bubble prints

    To do bubble printing with your bubble snakes, simply lay them down on the poster board.

    blowing a long bubble snake

    Continue blowing bubble snakes and make as many bubble snake prints as you want!

    blowing a bubble onto paper

To try different color palettes, you may want to use a different sock or have more than one bubble snake maker.

You can scrape off the bubbles to reveal your bubble prints, but most kids we know prefer to blow theirs off!

bubble snake prints
Photo by Andrea Martelle

Aren’t the bubble prints amazing?! We LOVED doing this and were so impressed by how well it worked.

More Outdoor Art Activities for Kids

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How to Create Bubble Snakes

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