The first warm, sunny day of spring is always the best excuse to get out our bubble-making paraphernalia. But by the time July rolls around, we’ve forgotten all about those glorious bubbles. It’s at this point in the summer when our usual summer pastimes start to become passé to a certain youngster in my household, so I guess I’m not surprised.

So I’m thinking it’s time to revamp our bubble blowing options. These DIY projects run the gamut from simple recycling to serious beadmaking. There’s even a chance to make some really colorful messes and pretend you’re a scientist, if you’re so inclined.

The only problem is deciding which project to start first. Maybe I should plan on one a week until the end of the summer? I think I can just squeeze them in..

DIY Beaded Bubble Wands
via Kleas

My little Birdie would LOVE making these. She’d probably ask to make several. You can pull out some shaped cookie cutters (stars, hearts, circles) to help make interesting tops, too.

DIY Rainbow Bubble Snakes
via Princess and Pigtails

Bubble snakes are such a fascinating idea! Plus, the bubble solution is easier to make – no special ingredients to get from the store. All you need is an old sock, a bottle, dish soap, and maybe some food coloring. Instant magic!

DIY Bubble Shooter
via Kids Activities Blog

This one is so simple the kids could probably do it all by themselves. I can’t believe we’ve never tried a bubble shooter before! Though I have to say, I wish it actually shot them out, but hey, it’s still a different delivery method, which counts as new and exciting!

DIY Recycled Bubble Blowers
via Homespun Threads

I love finding all the different ways you can blow a bubble – like using the top of a plastic water bottle. Brilliant! (I’ve also seen several posts using pipe cleaners, which surprised me as well!)

DIY Bubble Art
via Library Makers

Too rainy to blow bubbles, or maybe your artistes want something that will last? Create some easy bubble splatter art with this quick tutorial. The results look frame-worthy to me.

Stainless Colored Bubbles
via LifeHacker

So the list of ingredients includes a couple of big words. But for those of you scientists who love a good concoction, and especially for the older kids, this project looks pretty fascinating. Using the same concept that creates disappearing ink (there’s a link for that DIY, too!), these bubbles will loose their color before they can leave a stain on your clothes. Cool!

Pictured at the top of the post: Homemade Giant Bubbles from Happy Hooligans.