DIY Homemade Lava Lamp

by EncouragePlay in Living > Toys & Games

110950 Views, 209 Favorites, 0 Comments

DIY Homemade Lava Lamp

lava lamp - finished bottle.jpg

DIY/Homemade Lava Lamps are great fun for families to do together. It
can be mesmerizing and calming to watch the lava lamp in action. This activity always keeps my kids busy for a good amount of time.

Gather Your Materials

lava lamp ingredients.jpg

To do it yourself at home, you will need:

  • Vegetable Oil
  • Water
  • Clear Bottle
  • Food Coloring
  • Alka Seltzer Tablets - broken into smaller pieces

Put Water in the Bottle

lava lamp - water.jpg

Fill the bottle 1/3 of the way full with water.

Add Food Coloring

lava lamp - water and food coloring.jpg

Add the food coloring colors of your choice. This bottle has a few drops of green. Feel free to get creative with this step!

Add Vegetable Oil

lava lamp - water and oil.jpg

Fill the bottle the almost all of the way to the top with vegetable oil. Leave a little room to allow for the reaction to have space to work!

Break Up the Alka Seltzer

lava lamp - alka seltzer.jpg

Break the Alka Seltzer into 4 or 5 pieces. Place one or two at a time into the lava lamp and watch what happens!

Drop in Alka Seltzer and Watch the Lava Lamp in Action

Lava Lamp

Drop in one or two pieces of Alka Seltzer and watch the colored water rise up into the oil. Continue putting in one or two Alka Seltzer drop every few minutes or once the reaction has settled.

NOTE: Please make sure to not place screw on the cover to the lid while the reaction from the Alka Seltzer is happening. The reaction will build up and may cause your container to explode!