Potter DIY: Bath Bombs for Every House

Looking for a last-minute DIY gift idea? Just want to treat yourself to the House pride you deserve? Check out this DIY method for making your own bath bombs in the colors of your Hogwarts House.

What You’ll Need:

• ½ cup citric acid
• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup Epsom salt
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 ¼ tsp oil (You should melt coconut oil, but you can use anything from olive oil to almond oil.)
• 1-1 ½ tsp water
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Bath bomb mold (or muffin tins)
• Something to store them in

Gryffindor:

• 5 drops red food coloring
• Food grade gold glitter
• 10 drops cinnamon essential oil

Hufflepuff:

• 5 drops yellow or gold food coloring
• Food grade gold glitter
• 10 drops chamomile essential oil

Ravenclaw:

• 5 drops blue food coloring
• Food grade silver glitter
• 10 drops lemon essential oil

Slytherin:

• 5 drops green food coloring
• Food grade silver glitter
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil

Directions:

Step 1: In one of your bowls (make sure it’s super dry if you just washed it), mix together the cornstarch, baking powder, Epsom salts, glitter, and citric acid. If you’re making bombs for more than one House, divide this mixture into a bowl for each House and add the glitter then; otherwise, go ahead and add your glitter at this stage.

Step 2: In a small, separate bowl, mix together your oil (melted if it’s coconut oil), essential oil, water, and food coloring. Again, if you’re making bath bombs for more than one House, divide the measurements for oil and water into a bowl for each House and add the essential oils and food coloring then. It’s important to mix your food coloring and water at this stage; otherwise, it will clump up in the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Slowly drizzle your wet ingredients into the dry while constantly mixing with a whisk. When combined, they should be damp and sandy, and the mixture should stick together when pinched. If it doesn’t, add more water ¼ tsp at a time. Keep in mind that it should still be quite dry looking, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look like it would make a bath bomb quite yet.

Step 4: Pack your sandy mixture very tightly into your molds or muffin tins so that there’s no give when you press with a finger. If you’re using a mold, carefully remove one half of it after it’s been packed and set the bath bombs aside, open side up, for around an hour. Test to see how they’re drying. If they don’t crumble to the touch, carefully turn them over onto a baking sheet. If you find them cracking as you do this, just press them back together and let them set for another half hour before trying again. If you’re using a mold, remove the other half now. Once they’re out of the molds, let them dry overnight on the baking sheet.

Step 5: When your bath bombs are fully dry, find a safe, dry place to store them. A resealable bag works well, or you can wrap them in parchment paper and tie the paper with brown string for an adorable stocking stuffer. Turn on “Hedwig’s Theme,” crack open your favorite Harry Potter book, and show off those House colors in the bath.

Adapted from this recipe.