You can bend a wire coat hanger into a circle and wind a string around it. Depending on how big you make your circle, you get great big bubbles. The string helps in getting the liquid to stay on the circle. The trick is to dip your string and straw thing into the solution, then wave it through the air. Break the bubble off by flipping the apparatus up a bit.
Plain straws make good bubble pipes.
Also try using the plastic strawberry baskets, they make lots of little bubbles. It is fun to experiment with all different bubble makers. Big-time bubble making is a bit like fishing. You'll have much better luck in cool wet weather. Early evenings, nighttime and early mornings are often good.