Do you want to know how to make a lava lamp that lasts forever by using excess home material? Or you are getting bored and want to try a DIY permanent lava lamp. So you are going to love this guide as here I am going to cover how do you make a lava lamp.
You might be thinking is it possible to make your own lava lamps that can last like forever? Then no need to think anymore, you will be definitely amazed by learning about tricks to make homemade lava lamps.
Interestingly these homemade lava lamps are somehow better with respect to money than electrical lava lamps. Let’s learn interesting ways to make a bubbling lava lamp. I am damn sure you will enjoy the process.
If you have children in your house, I would recommend you engage them in this activity, they will definitely love it.
How To Make a Lava Lamp That Lasts Forever By Using Alka Seltzer
The very first way to make a homemade lava lamp is to design it with Alka Seltzer. The lava lamp ingredients that are used here are given below
- A clear container is used as the body of the lava lamp.
- Any type of oil (vegetable or baby)
- Vinegar (white)
- The citric acid (lemon/orange)
- Eno or Alka seltzer
- Baking soda
- Food color
- Tonic water
- Photoluminescent pigments
Procedure
Now I am going to tell you how to make a real lava lamp by using these materials. For further ease, I am adding a step-by-step guide.
- Fill the clean jar ¼ with water. Make sure the jar should be very neat.
- Now it is time to add oil drops into the water. Make sure you should leave a one-inch spare from the top of the jar. This space allows the moving lava easily.
- Pick the food color and add a few drops of the liquid food color into the water. Mix it gently but thoroughly for at least 5 minutes. Ultimately all the materials mix up very easily.
- After the thoroughly mixing of materials add Alka seltzer. In case you do not have it in liquid form you can also go with the tablet Alka seltzer. Never add the whole tablet at once break the tablet and add a quarter of it into the jar.
- The bubbling starts to appear in the lava. Now cover the mouth of the bottle with a lid and enjoy the process.
When I was following this process this question was appearing in my mind continuously and might you are also thinking the same. The question was can you put Alka seltzer in ginger ale? So yes you can be if you want to.
In case you do not have Alka seltzer, then how do you make a lava lamp? Let me answer it here you can go for alternate ways. Like you can add two tablespoons of baking soda with citric acid to cover the effect of Alka seltzer.
How To Make a Lava Lamp By Using a Lava Lamp Kit
The second way to make a lava lamp is to design a lava lamp by using a lava lamp kit. Simply buy a kit from any departmental store that comes with lava lamp cups, lava lamp glass bottle, wax, and related hardware.
So you just have to assemble the parts and your lamp is ready. In this way, you can build a lava lamp that can last for a longer duration by using lava lamp kits. Keep this thing in mind the lava take time to heat up.
How To Make a Lava Lamp With Salt
You can also make a lava lamp by using a pinch of salt. It can be used an alternate way if you do not want to use vinegar or citrus acid. The Himalayan salt lava lamp is very quick and easy to make. To make this lava lamp you need a lava lamp base and an empty lava lamp bottle.
Add alcohol and salt to an empty bottle of a lava lamp and fill it with water also. Here you have to add drops of liquid food color to turn the water tinty. Make sure the quantity of the water and alcohol should be equal.
Mix the components thoroughly for almost 5 to 6 mins vigorously. After that leave it for 5 mins. Keep this thing in mind that this liquid makes the lamp very hot.
DIY Permanent Lava Lamp By Using a Pringles Can
The pringle can method to build a lava lamp is an alternate way of a lava lamp kit. I know it is funny how to make a lava lamp that lasts forever by using a pringle can. So just wait and let me explain how you can do it.
You just have to go to any departmental store and ask the shopkeeper about Pringles can, he might give it to you free of cost. Cut ⅓ portion of the pringle can and add homemade solution according to the availability of the products.
The leftover ring creates perfect motion to form aesthetic visuals. Now attach a giant lava lamp bulb in the base so that the lava gets enough heat to work properly.
Make a Lava Lamp by Replacing Old Wax
If you are getting bored with your previous lava lamp. Meanwhile, you do not want to invest in it for now. So you can make a new one by replacing its older wax with a newer one. Just heat the older wax. When it comes to lava form, dispose of it.
You can purchase a new color wax from any craft store or you can also make your own at home using material available at home. I prefer you to buy wax from the craft store. Believe me, this is the easiest and quick way to make play 2 play lava lamp.
Build a Lava Lamp With a Mixture of Glycerin Soap and Food Color
This method is easy and perfect to make light-up lava slime that can be used for a longer duration without getting cloudy.
In this method, you have to mix glycerine soap with water and food color in the lava lamp bottle. After adding the mixture to the bottle cover it with a lid. The lava lamp containing this mixture can easily last for almost 6 to 7 months.
After this time duration, the slime becomes cloudy. At this stage simply replace the mixture again.
Make a Lava Lamp by Using Vinegar and Bleach Solution With Food Color
The first time when I came across this DIY, literally i was amazed that how to make a lava lamp that lasts forever by using a mixture of vinegar and bleach with food coloring.
Believe me, this DIY turns out to provide marvelous results. In this strategy, you only have to fill the jar with vinegar and bleach solution in equal quantities. Here the food color is optional. The food color in the mixture illustrates the fluffer lava.
After adding all the ingredients for a lava lamp, keep the jar over the base of the lava lamp. You will see the lamp start working like a new lamp.
The Science Behind the Working Of a Lava Lamp
The working principle of a lava lamp is very simple. The liquid of the lamp is also known as lava. The components have different densities. When the heat is provided by the heat source, that is mostly incandescent bulbs.
One material of the mixture expands which is wax and comes to the top. After reaching the top the wax dissipates heat and comes down. Here it will again absorb heat from the heat source and the cycle begins.
In the lamps mentioned above, simple reactions occur that cause the working of lamps, for instance, in the case of bleach and acid mixture a gas has been produced that cause the bubbling that makes to feel it like lava.
Similarly, an acid-base reaction occurs in salt-based lava lamps. So every homemade lamp has different nature of material inside it and it shows a different type of reaction. I suggest you before mixing two substances to create lava always study their properties.
Ultimately it will help you to understand the working principle of these lava lamps.
Things to Be Noticed While Making a Lava Lamp
Here are a few suggestions that you should not neglect when you plan to make a lava lamp at home.
Collect Intregedients First
Before going to perform any step towards the manufacturing of lava lamps you must shortlist the product that you are going to use. Furthermore, make sure to check all ingredients are available.
Stir The Mixture Properly
Do not forget to mix all the ingredients of the lava properly after adding them to the container. You can use a mechanical drill, or a simple metal spoon for stirring purposes.
Viscosity Of Lava
Make sure the viscosity of the lava should not be much thick or thin. The lava of this viscosity will not work fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question No 1: Can I use any type of oil for my lava lamp?
Answer: While you can use any type of oil for your lava lamp, we recommend using high-quality mineral oil. Mineral oil has a low viscosity and high density, which makes it ideal for creating rising and falling bubbles in a lava lamp. Other types of oil, such as vegetable oil or olive oil, may not work as well and could potentially damage your lamp over time.
Question No 2:How can I ensure that my lava lamp lasts forever?
Answer: To make sure your lava lamp lasts as long as possible, it’s important to take good care of it. Here are a few tips: Keep your lamp out of direct sunlight, as this can cause the liquid to fade and the wax to melt prematurely. Use high-quality mineral oil and wax to ensure that the lamp works properly and doesn’t become damaged over time. Be gentle when moving the lamp or changing the bulb, as rough handling can cause the wax to break apart or the glass to crack.
Final words
There are a lot of other ways to create lava lamps, for instance by combining hair conditioner with water, and dish soap with water also. I hope you get the point that how to make a lava lamp that lasts forever.
In case you have any confusion regarding any procedure, feel free to ask in the comment box. I will give you an answer to clear up the confusion.
