Exploding Bath Bombs

2014-12-13 12.13.38‘Tis the season for cheesy crafts, and I love them as much as anyone.  Which is why today, you would have found me making bath bombs.  Mine won’t quite cut it as a gift for anyone else, but that’s through no fault of Erin of Craft Noire, who taught us at the store in New Haven called the Haven Collective.  Check out Erin’s other wonderful craft ideas!

Erin

Erin

 

 

 

Okay, basically, Erin told us, this is like baking a cake.  Mix your dry ingredients together first.  You take baking soda as your main ingredient.  Add about 1/2 that amount of citric acid (found on the canning aisle of your grocery store).  Citric acid makes the bath bomb explode.  Get it?  The fizz for your tub.  Add about the same again of corn starch.

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Now the artistry sets in.  Mix your wet ingredients separately in a small bowl.  You can use almond oil as a base and add a few drops of essential oils for your fragrance.  Customize it by mixing and matching.  I mixed peppermint and rosemary.  If you want, you can add food coloring for some flair.  Mix your wet and dry ingredients together, adding in epson salts if you like.  I like!

2014-12-13 12.34.29 HDRStir this concoction all together and start adding spritzes of rubbing alcohol.  That’s right.  Put rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and add 3 or 4 spritzes at a time.  Mix.  More spritzes.  Mix, until you reach the consistency of wet sand.

Essentially, you’re going to make mini sand castles.  You can use any kind of mold or cupcake/muffin pan.  Smush the mixture down firmly, spritz with the rubbing alcohol, then pack more down.  You can also put bits of lavender or more epson salts in first, then add your mixture.  You’ll end up with decoration for the top of your bombs.

When the mixture is firmly in place, wait for it to set.  Maybe about 10 minutes.  It will be firm to the touch.

2014-12-13 12.42.04Pop it out of the mold, let it sit for an hour to fully dry, then load up a jar with the hardened bath bombs for a sweet gift.  The air-tight jar also keeps the moisture out.  Wet will turn the bombs into mush.  Your finished bath bombs will last about 2 months.  Of course, you may use them up long before then!

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Put one in your tub and watch it explode!  With pleasure.  Thank you, Erin!

Erin demonstrates; plop one in water...

Erin demonstrates: plop one in water…

...and bombs away!

…and bombs away!

 

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