(You can find lots more recipes by doing a web search on "bubble solutions", "bubble recipes", "making bubbles", or just "soap bubbles".)

Ye Olde Recipe
4 cups of warm distilled water.
1/2 cup dish washing liquid.
1 tablespoon of glycerin.

Colourful Bubbles
1/3 cup dish washing liquid.
1 1/2 cups of warm distilled water.
2 tablespoons full of refined sugar.
1 teaspoon full of food coloring.
1 teaspoon full of white Karo Syrup.

Trick Making Bubbles
2 cups detergent.
6 cups warm distilled water.
3/4 cup glycerin.

Environmentaly Friendly Bubbles.
1 cup biodegradable detergent.
1 cup gelatine powder, any flavour/colour.
8 to 10 cups warm distilled water.
Use this within a day or two.

Floaty, Non-Drip Bubbles.
100mls detergent
900mls of distilled water
50mls Glycerine (also called Glycerol)

Recipe Notes

 I haven't mentioned detergent brands because there is no universally available product. So you have to try a local one that bubbles up well when you wash dishes with it. Quantities of liquid used for bubble mixtures will vary also depending on your brands strength. Time to experiment!

 Glycerin works best if you buy the undiluted stuff. You find it in the cooking and pharmacy sections of the supermarket. And it can be expensive.
Karo Corn Syrup, which is cheaper, does the same thing. But it can attract bugs. Look for it in the food section of the supermarket.

 Grease cutter detergents are best. Only use biodegradable detergents if you are going to use the solution strait away - they weaken over time.

 Mix all solutions carefully, as suds and froth are bubble busters. Scoop foam etc off the top of any solution trays as it forms, you will get more joy from your mixture that way.

 For longer-lasting bubbles, store the bubble mix overnight in the fridge before using. Then put it away in a cupboard, out of direct sunlight. A mixture left for longer than three days works better than one made up an hour before!

 The glycerin, Karo Corn Syrup and sugar make the bubbles stronger, (by slowing down the evaporation of water) so you get bigger bubbles that last longer. If you don't have any of these ingredients to add, use more detergent. You don't have to add any of this stuff however - they also all make the bubbles heavier and more 'drippy'.

 Distilled water is best to make the mixture with, because tap water is usually hard water - water which is high in dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium - so it is not good for bubbles. You can get distilled water cheep at supermarkets and petrol stations in giant bottles.

 Environment plays havoc with bubble recipes. What works wonders in England may produce short lifespan bubbles here in Australia. So if someone says their solution is the best and you make it up and it is a flop, they won't have been telling a fib, they probably just have more humidity wherever they are - and the better the humidity, the longer a bubble lasts.

 For pretty bubbles add a drop of food colouring. Not more than a few drops, or else you will have multi coloured splat spots everywhere the bubbles pop!

 Store bubble mix in a sealed container and be sure to 'label' the bottle clearly. You can make little bubble bottles for your backpack using empty plastic film canisters, but carry them in a ziplock bag, just in case!

Dipping dishes can be upturned lids, shallow Tupperware bowls, baking trays and plastic BBQ plates.

Try making bubble wands from - drinking straws, bamboo reeds, cotton reel spools, a twists from a wire coat hanger, slotted spoons or spatulas, large link chains, cookie cutters, paper cups with the bottoms cut out, strainers, big beads, funnels, cardboard milk cartons with the ends cut off, chains of paperclips and the circle made by your index finger and thumb to form an Okay sign!

The orange tipped one in the picture above actually blows the best stream of bubbles. The yellow heart, like many fancy shapes I have tried, doesn't work. The two tiny blowers under the red multi blower (which works a treat!) are very good, both came in little bubble solution bottles that fit in a handbag.

The colours in a bubble are caused by the light being refracted (broken into its component colours) by its soapy walls, just like in a crystal prism.

It depends on the bubble's size, the thickness of its soapy wall and mixture composition as to which colours shimmer on its surface and whereabouts on the sphere they turn up. Thinner bubbles have the most intense colours.

I still take little bubble bottles to parties, weddings, even official balls, and happily bubble away at odd moments in the evening. It is fun, and the bubbles look good bouncing around on the dance floor.

And for the ultimate party gadget - industrial bubble machines are fabulous fun!

Don't not do things just because you think they are only for little kids. There is a little kid inside all of us, who stays with us for always. Every now and then, buy 'em an ice cream.

Note!
Any bubble mix is a concentrated detergent! It will sting if you get it in your eyes - wash them directly in running water for at least five minutes to get the soap out. And don't drink it or let others drink it.

And as this stuff isn't biodegradable, don't allow too much of it to enter fish ponds etc. Everything in moderation, even bubbles!

..ooo0OJO0ooo..