Step 1: Gather materials! You will need an empty bottle, vegetable oil (the cheaper the better), food coloring, water, and Alka-Seltzer tablets. You can get all of this at Wal-Mart.Step 2: Fill the bottle 3/4 full with vegetable oil. You use vegetable oil because it doesn’t like to mix with water and no matter how much you mix it there will still be little bubbles of vegetable oil in the bottle.Step 3: Fill the rest of the bottle with water! Make sure it isn’t too full because you are going to be putting the Alka-Seltzer in later.Step 4: Add food coloring! You can use any color that you want, and you should put between 10 and 15 drops in the bottle.Step 5: Crush up the Alka-Seltzer! Take as many tablets as you would like (I used 2) and crush them into chunks.Step 6: Drop the Alka-Seltzer in! You lava lamp should be working now, you can put as many tablets as you want into the bottle! Total Estimated Time: 10 minutes Total Estimated Cost: $10
This project is very unqiue! It is something that I would’ve never thought of! I am not a crafty person, but your visuals with clear instructions make the project appear very easy. If the tablets make the lava move around, can you just keep adding tablets? Or does the whole thing need to be redone at somepoint/how long does it last?
Interesting how this works! I think I might try this – it looks like a fun little project to do! I really enjoyed that you thoroughly explained each step with pictures as well as information. Also I like at the end you added the estimated time and price it makes it easy for people to get an idea of if they are able to do it or not. Just one question though, do you have any insight as to how this works (science)? Also it says lamp, but isn’t this technically lava bottle? Or does it light up as well?
This is a very interesting, and cool looking project! How long will the lava lamp work for? Does it run for a certain amount of time? Is it reusable or is it only a one time use thing? I will be sure to try this out !
Nice project indeed, but just as easy you could fill the bottle with water then add a little oil. Just let it set and then flip it over and the oil will float to the top. If you wanted a more reliable one, take a glass bottle with a flat bottom, put some corn starch in the bottle and the add wax. Close the bottle and set it on a heat producing light.
This is a very interesting project, but from the picture you used it doesn’t seem too much like a lava lamp, more likea a crystal lamp. I guess ill have to try it and see what it actually looks like in motion!
12 Comments
This is a very neat project. Do you think it is safe for younger children to do or is this more for adults?
This is really cool. Does it eventually stop working the way it did when you first made it though?
This is a really cool project, great job on visualizing the steps! I might just have to try this.
This project is very unqiue! It is something that I would’ve never thought of! I am not a crafty person, but your visuals with clear instructions make the project appear very easy. If the tablets make the lava move around, can you just keep adding tablets? Or does the whole thing need to be redone at somepoint/how long does it last?
Interesting how this works! I think I might try this – it looks like a fun little project to do! I really enjoyed that you thoroughly explained each step with pictures as well as information. Also I like at the end you added the estimated time and price it makes it easy for people to get an idea of if they are able to do it or not. Just one question though, do you have any insight as to how this works (science)? Also it says lamp, but isn’t this technically lava bottle? Or does it light up as well?
This is a very interesting, and cool looking project! How long will the lava lamp work for? Does it run for a certain amount of time? Is it reusable or is it only a one time use thing? I will be sure to try this out !
Nice project indeed, but just as easy you could fill the bottle with water then add a little oil. Just let it set and then flip it over and the oil will float to the top. If you wanted a more reliable one, take a glass bottle with a flat bottom, put some corn starch in the bottle and the add wax. Close the bottle and set it on a heat producing light.
This is a really neat and fun looking project! Can you use the same bottle more than once?
This is a very interesting project, but from the picture you used it doesn’t seem too much like a lava lamp, more likea a crystal lamp. I guess ill have to try it and see what it actually looks like in motion!
Does the number of tablets used affect anything in the experiment? Does it make a different effect?
This is awesome! I would love to try this project! Can you use the same bottle more than once?
This is absolutely amazing! The things you can do with household items are mindblowing!