how to create a she shed

DIY BUBBLE BATH BLISS: CREATE YOUR OWN SOOTHING SOAK

There’s something incredibly calming about immersing yourself in a warm bath filled with soft, fragrant bubbles. Unfortunately, many commercial bubble baths contain chemicals and artificial ingredients that can irritate the skin. This homemade bubble bath recipe offers an all-natural, customizable, and budget-friendly alternative for a truly relaxing experience.

Who Doesn’t Love a Soothing Bubble Bath? We all enjoy a nice, relaxing bubble bath from time to time—I certainly do! I cherished them as a kid, and my love for them has only grown.

What I don’t appreciate, however, are the unnecessary toxic chemicals often found in store-bought bubble baths. Many of these products contain sulfates and synthetic fragrances, which have been linked to issues like endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity, and toxicity to non-reproductive organ systems.

What concerns me the most is that many of these bubble baths are marketed toward children and babies.

Below are the ingredients from a popular, expensive store-bought bubble bath:

“aqua/water/eau, sodium laureth sulfate, lauryl betaine, ppg-2 hydroxyethyl cocamide, glycerin, glycol distearate, parfum/fragrance, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, allantoin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, panthenol, tocopherol, tocotrienols, trilinolein, triolein, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, camellia sinensis leaf extract, polyquaternium-7, polyquaternium-10, maltodextrin, methyl gluceth-20, sodium benzotriazolyl butylphenol sulfonate, buteth-3, tributyl citrate, citric acid, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium nitrate, sodium benzoate, sodium sulfite, polysorbate 20, potassium sorbate, disodium edta, maleic anhydride, sodium hydroxide, methylene di-t-butylcresol, phenoxyethanol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, fd & c yellow no. 5 (ci 19140), fd & c red no. 40 (ci 16035)”

Not only is this an overwhelming list of ingredients, but many of them are toxic. For instance, methylisothiazolinone can lead to immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and irritation of the skin, eyes, and lungs. Meanwhile, polyquaternium-7, an anti-static agent, poses risks for non-reproductive organ system toxicity and ecotoxicology.

This particular bubble bath isn’t just harmful to your health; it also negatively impacts the environment. And this is just one example—many other store-bought bubble baths have ingredient lists that look alarmingly similar.

That’s why I’ve stopped purchasing store-bought bubble baths and started making my own. It’s incredibly easy to create, all-natural, and significantly cheaper than the average store-bought option.

How To Make Your Own Bubble Bath

To create your own homemade bubble bath, gather the following ingredients and supplies.

BOTTLE

You’ll need a bottle or bubble bath dispenser that can hold 14 to 18 ounces, like the one shown here. The recipe below will yield approximately 18 ounces of bubble bath. If you opt for a larger soap dispenser, feel free to add a bit more castile soap.

I always prefer glass bottles over plastic because essential oils contain powerful chemical compounds that can break down and react when they come into contact with plastic.

UNSCENTED CASTILE SOAP

Castile soap serves as the base for this bubble bath, providing the bubbles you love. This vegetable-based, natural product is suitable for all skin types, including those of babies.

I always choose unscented castile soap so I can customize the fragrance to my liking.

NATURAL BODY WASH (OPTIONAL)

If you have hard water, you might find that the castile soap doesn’t create much lather. In this case, I recommend adding a body wash to your bubble bath.

Opt for a natural option, like Everyone unscented body wash. Even if you don’t have hard water but want an abundance of bubbles, adding the body wash is a great idea. It significantly enhances the sudsing when combined with the castile soap.

VEGETABLE GLYCERIN

Vegetable glycerin helps thicken the bubble bath, enhancing its suds and bubbles while also offering additional moisturizing benefits.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils provide the delightful scent for the bubble bath, as all the other ingredients are unscented. If you want your bubble bath to smell amazing, be sure to add essential oils.

Below, you’ll find various combinations of essential oil scents.

It’s crucial to use only 100% pure essential oils, as some are synthetic. Fake essential oils can be just as harmful as the toxin-laden store-bought bubble baths.

For tips on how to identify fake essential oils and to discover some of my favorite brands, check out my post titled Fake Essential Oil Brands You Should Avoid.

Homemade Bubble Bath Recipe

To create this homemade bubble bath recipe, simply add the following ingredients to your jar or bottle. I typically use an 18-ounce glass bottle for this bubble bath. If you’re using a larger or smaller container, be sure to adjust the quantities of each ingredient accordingly.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup castile soap
  • 1 cup body wash (if you choose not to use body wash, add an additional cup of castile soap)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
  • 30-40 drops of essential oils (see scent combinations below)

Make sure to blend the ingredients thoroughly and shake well before each use.

Simple Essential Oil Scent Combinations

You can create any scent combination you like with essential oils. If you prefer something straightforward that doesn’t require too many different oils, I recommend the following combos:

Simply add the essential oils to the recipe above, keeping in mind to adjust the amounts if you’re using a larger or smaller dispenser than I suggested.

Combo #1: 15 drops lavender + 15 drops lemon
Combo #2: 15 drops peppermint + 15 drops orange
Combo #3: 15 drops grapefruit + 15 drops lime

Homemade Christmas Bubble Bath

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create some festive scent combinations for the holidays.

Candy Cane

30 drops peppermint + 10 drops spearmint

Christmas Cookie

20 drops ginger + 5 drops clove + 5 drops cinnamon + 4 drops nutmeg + 10 drops vanilla

Christmas Tree

30 drops fir + 5 drops vetiver + 5 drops cypress

This DIY bubble bath makes a great homemade gift—especially the Christmas-scented bubble baths.

You can sign up to receive free homemade printable gift tags below.

Alternatively, you can sign up to receive the colored bubble bath labels instead.

How To Use Homemade Bubble Bath

To use this homemade bubble bath, simply pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup into the bathtub while the tub is filling with water. Feel free to add more if you’d like it to be bubblier or sudsier.

For extra-large bathtubs, you may need to use more than 1/2 cup of bubble bath.

Keep in mind that homemade bubble baths typically don’t create as much suds as store-bought varieties. This is because store-bought bubble baths contain surfactants, which are responsible for producing those giant, foamy bubbles.

However, surfactants are harmful to the environment, so I prefer my homemade bubble bath.

I’ve heard that whisking an egg white into the bubble bath mixture can help create fluffy, long-lasting bubbles, but I haven’t tried that yet.

How To Store DIY Bubble Bath

This homemade bubble bath should be stored in a sealed container. The glass bottle I recommended earlier is perfect for storing this DIY bubble bath.

Just make sure to keep the pump tightly sealed at all times to prevent contamination from bacteria.

How Long Does Homemade Bubble Bath Last?

This homemade bubble bath can last for 1 to 2 years when stored in a sealed container.

How Often Can Homemade Bubble Bath Be Used?

You can use this homemade bubble bath as often as you like since it contains only natural ingredients, allowing you to enjoy a relaxing soak without worrying about harmful chemicals.

However, keep in mind that castile soap can be drying for the skin, so be sure to moisturize well after bathing. If you notice your skin becoming excessively dry, you may want to reduce your usage.

NEED ESSENTIAL OILS?

Make sure to use 100% pure essential oils when putting together this recipe. High-quality oils don’t have to break the bank.

I recommend brands like Simply Earth, Plant Therapy, and Far & Wild, as they all offer high-quality oils at affordable prices.

If you decide to buy from Simply Earth, you can use the code HAPPYHEARTFREE to receive an essential oil recipe box, a bonus box, and a $45 Simply Earth gift card, all for just $29.99 (new customers only)!!!

If you’re unfamiliar with Simply Earth or their recipe box, you can check out previous boxes [here].

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, creating your own homemade bubble bath provides a natural, customizable, and budget-friendly alternative to store-bought products.

By selecting your own ingredients, you can ensure that your bath is free from harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, and unnecessary additives, making it gentle on your skin.

Moreover, you can tailor the scents, textures, and moisturizing properties to suit your preferences and specific skin needs.

I truly hope you enjoy using this homemade bubble bath! If you have any questions about the recipe, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CROCHETING AMIGURMI BALLS: CREATE SPHERES IN ANY SIZE!

Crocheting the perfect amigurumi ball or sphere in any size is incredibly useful for creating amigurumi heads, bodies, limbs, and various other components. Additionally, these versatile shapes can be used for children’s toys, decorative elements, wall hangings, jewelry, and more.

In this tutorial, I’ll share some simple rules and helpful tricks for crocheting a flawless amigurumi ball. With these techniques, you can create spheres of any size that look perfect from every angle! So, gather your yarn, hook, and stuffing, and let’s get started on crafting some adorable balls!

Essential techniques for a perfect Amigurumi Ball

Before we begin, let’s take a moment to review a few essential techniques for crocheting the perfect amigurumi ball:

  • Crochet in the Round
  • How to Single Crochet the Perfect Circle
  • Single Crochet Invisible Decrease
  • Ultimate Finish

Perfect single Crochet Circle

The foundation of any amigurumi sphere is a simple, flat circle. When you single crochet a flat circle, you can place your increases in various ways, resulting in a shape that may resemble a hexagon or one that is truly round.

For an amigurumi sphere, it’s crucial to start with a perfect circle, like the pink one depicted below. While you’ll find several pattern examples here, you can also learn more about transitioning from a hexagon to a flawless circle.

Single Crochet Invisible Decrease

If you’ve ever attempted to crochet a ball or any amigurumi, you might have noticed that while the beginning of the sphere looks neat (as shown in the photo in panel A below), the finishing can often be less appealing (see the photo in panel B below).

While the less attractive side of an amigurumi—where you make decreases—may never win any beauty contests, you can certainly enhance its appearance with the Single Crochet Invisible Decrease! Additionally, by alternating decreases in the same manner as you would for increases in a perfectly round circle, you can achieve a more polished look. We’ll explore that in more detail later!

How to Close your Amigurumi Sphere

To achieve a neat crocheted ball from every angle, it’s essential to master the technique for closing your amigurumi sphere using the ultimate finish. This method ensures that the final round of your ball lies flat and cute, rather than sticking out awkwardly.

Now that we have that covered, it’s time to crochet a ball together! But first, let’s discuss the materials you’ll need!

Materials

  • Yarn
  • Appropriate Hook Size
  • Stuffing
  • Tapestry Needle

Keep in mind that for crocheting amigurumi, it’s best to use a smaller hook size than what’s recommended on the yarn label.

For instance, I used:

  • acrylic, worsted (4, Medium) yarn with a 3.5-mm (E/4 US, 9 UK) hook;
  • or cotton, DK (3, Light) yarn with a 2.75-mm (C/2 US, 12 UK) hook.

Abbreviations (US Terms)

How to Crochet the Perfect Amigurumi Ball in Any Size – Free Tutorial

Beginning of the sphere

Let’s begin by crocheting a perfectly round circle in any size.

Here’s the pattern I used for the example shown here, but feel free to adjust the size of your circle to be as small or large as you need!

Round 1. Sc 6 in MC. (6 sts)

Round 2. Sc inc 6. (12 sts)

Round 3. (Sc inc 1, sc 1) 6 times. (18 sts)

Round 4. Sc 1, (sc inc 1, sc 2) 5 times, sc inc 1, sc 1. (24 sts)

Round 5. (Sc inc 1, sc 3) 6 times. (30 sts)

Round 6. Sc 2, (sc inc 1, sc 4) 5 times, sc inc 1, sc 2. (36 sts)

Round 7. (Sc inc 1, sc 5) 6 times. (42 sts)

Body of the Amigurumi Ball

Once you’re satisfied with the diameter of your circle, it’s time to crochet the body of the sphere.

To achieve a perfect sphere, there’s a straightforward rule for determining how many rounds to work for the body: simply add one to the number of rounds in your flat circle!

In our example, we crocheted a flat circle with 7 rounds, so we’ll need to crochet a total of 7 + 1 = 8 rounds for the body.

Here is the pattern:

Rounds 8-15. Sc around. (42 sts)

Decreases

Once the body is complete, it’s time to decrease the number of stitches.

It’s important to alternate the position of the decreases in each round to avoid having them stacked in the same six points. This follows the same principle as creating a hexagon versus a perfect circle!

For a tidy finish, be sure to use the invisible decrease technique.

For our Amigurumi ball, the pattern for the decreases will be as follows:

Round 16. (Inv dec 1, sc 5) 6 times. (36 sts)

Round 17. Sc 2, (inv dec 1, sc 4) 5 times, inv dec 1, sc 2. (30 sts)

Round 18. (Inv dec 1, sc 3) 6 times. (24 sts)

Round 19. Sc 1, (inv dec 1, sc 2) 5 times, inv dec 1, sc 1. (18 sts)

Stuffing

At this stage, before making any further decreases, it’s a good idea to stuff the amigurumi ball with polyfill or any filling material you typically use.

Complete the decreases

Continue decreasing your stitches in each round, adding more filling material as needed.

For our example, the pattern looks like this:

Round 20. (Inv dec 1, sc 1) 6 times. (12 sts)

Round 21. Inv dec 6. (6 sts)

Fasten off leaving a long tail.

Close the top hole of the Amigurumi ball

Close the top of your sphere using the ultimate finish technique.

Weave in your ends

Finally, weave in all of your ends.

CONCLUSION

I hope you enjoyed this free tutorial! I’d love to see all your creations using amigurumi balls. Please share a picture of your work on Facebook and Instagram