Maker Monday: easy, scented bath bombs

A hot bath is even more fun when you toss in a beautiful, fragrant “bath bomb” and watching it fizz for a luxuriously scented soak. And the main ingredients — Epsom salt and baking soda — are great for soaking tired muscles and softening skin. The best part? Kids can have fun creating Maker Monday bath bombs themselves, measuring ingredients, mixing and molding their creations.

As we gathered simple ingredients for our bath bombs, we found lavender Epsom salt. So we skipped the lavender oil. But you can use plain Epsom salt then add any essential oil you wish. Once our bath bombs were dry, we wrapped them in plastic wrap and added a ribbon for a pretty presentation in the bathroom.

As with all Maker Monday projects, kids can do this with items you may have around the house or can pick up at a dollar store or grocery store. Just follow the step-by-step instructions below.

A note to kid makers: Please work with a parent or caregiver on Maker Monday projects. Though this project doesn’t involve any tools, it’s always good to have grownups make sure you’re working safely.  

Maker Monday materials:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid (one easy to find brand is Fruit Fresh)
• 1/2 cup Epsom salt
• 1 teaspoon witch hazel
• 1 teaspoon essential oil (lavender is a great choice)
• food coloring
• a whisk
• two bowls — one large, one small
• a silicone ice cube tray

Maker Monday instructions:

Step 1: Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with your whisk, making sure to eliminate any lumps. (If you don’t have a whisk, you can mix with a fork.)

Step 2: In a small bowl, stir together the liquid ingredients with a few drops of food coloring.

Step 3: Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients a half-teaspoon at a time. Whisk the ingredients to fully incorporate the liquid as you go. (Tip: You want the mixture to feel like wet sand that can clump together. Imagine the right consistency to make a good sand castle. If it is too wet, add a little more baking soda.)

Step 4: Spoon the mixture into the silicone ice cube tray. (Cleanup tip: It’s helpful to do this step on a cookie sheet to catch the crumbs.) Press the mixture down as tightly as possible. (Again, think of a good sand castle!) Allow the bath bombs to dry for at least 12 hours, then carefully remove from the mold. Give them another 12-24 hours to dry completely. Store in an airtight container or wrap individually as gifts or to display in your bathroom. Then, run a tub and prepare for luxury!