5 Easy Ways to Make Slime at Home

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posted on 18 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Who doesn’t love slime? It’s squishy, stretchy, and oh-so-slimy! It’s also super cheap, easy to make and, incredibly versatile and customizable. In this article, we’ll teach you 5 simple ways to make slime at home. All you need is a sticky slime base (usually glue) and a slime activator (typically borax or contact solution). Keep reading to learn how you can make your own slime with ingredients you likely already have lying around!

Steps

3-Ingredient Slime

Mix two 4 oz (118 mL) bottles of washable glue and 1 tsp (5 g) of baking soda. The color of the glue is completely up to you. Use colored glue, glitter glue, or plain school glue (as long as it’s washable, it’s perfect for slime). Mix the glue and baking soda in a large bowl with a spoon or popsicle stick until they’re smooth. Elmer’s School Glue is a popular brand for making slime. Only have white glue on hand? No worries! Try spicing it up by dying it with food coloring or adding chunky or fine glitter.

Add 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of contact solution into the mixture. Saline or contact solution activates the slime, giving it that stretchy and stringy texture. Mix everything slowly until the contact solution is well incorporated and the mixture starts to solidify and form a ball. Double check that your contact solution contains boric acid (most brands do). Otherwise, the slime may not form the correct "slimy" consistency.

Knead the slime until it’s your preferred texture. Pick up the slime ball and squeeze it between your hands until it becomes smooth. For a slimier texture, add another ⁄2 US tbsp (7.4 mL) of contact solution. If your slime is too slimy, sprinkle more baking soda over it. Store your finished slime in an airtight container at room temperature until it dries out or hardens.

Add texture to your slime (optional). For even more of a sensory experience, try adding small figurines, foam balls, or pom poms to the slime. This can shorten the life of the slime but make it even more fun to play with!

Borax Slime

Mix 4 US tbsp (59 mL) of borax powder and 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water. Put these ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until the borax is completely dissolved. This will be your slime’s activator. Slime is harmful if consumed. Therefore, parents are encouraged to supervise children playing and making slime at all times.

Mix ⁄2 cup (120 mL) of water and 1 cup (240 mL) of liquid craft glue separately. In another bowl, mix these ingredients until well combined. This will be the base of your slime.

Add food coloring to the glue mixture (optional). Choose any color of food coloring you like! Start with a few drops of food coloring, then stir. If you want the color to be brighter, add a few more drops. Just keep in mind that the more color you add, the greater the chance the slime will dye your hands.

Combine the borax mixture and glue mixture. Dump the borax mixture into the glue mixture slowly, stirring occasionally. If you add too much too fast, the slime could harden and lose its elasticity. Keep mixing until the slime starts pulling away from the side of the bowl. Start kneading the slime with your hands at this point. It might be sticky, but keep mixing. Add more activator (borax) if the slime doesn’t thicken. If you make smaller amounts of slime in separate containers, evenly divide the borax solution among the containers.

Take the slime out of the bowl and have fun! Once the slime pulls away from the bowl and doesn’t stick to your hands, it’s ready to be played with. If the slime doesn’t stretch but rips while you play with it, you may need to begin the process over. If the slime is too sticky and doesn’t form a ball, try adding more borax and water.

“Living” Slime

Mix ⁄4 cup (180 mL) of cornstarch with 2 cups (470 mL) of vegetable oil. Also known as oobleck, this slime moves all on its own! To start, add your cornstarch and vegetable oil to a large bowl and stir them together. When making this type of slime, it's possible to substitute the cornstarch with arrowroot or tapioca powder.

Put the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour, then stir. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and leave it there until the mixture is fully chilled (about 1 hour). The cold temperature will help the slime solidify and reach the ideal consistency. Once the hour is up, remove the mixture and stir it well to recombine all the ingredients (some separation is normal).

Rub a block of styrofoam on a rug to create a static charge. Any size of styrofoam works as long as you can hold it in your hand. Run the styrofoam on your hair or a carpet several times. This builds static electricity.

Pour the slime slowly into another container next to the styrofoam. Place the piece of styrofoam just in front of the slime before you start pouring (roughly about 1 in (2.5 cm) away). The static electricity will cause the slime to stop flowing and appear to take on a life of its own. Try moving or wiggling the styrofoam around the slime—the slime will follow it! Rub the styrofoam back on your hair or carpet to give it more charge as you play.

Soap Flake Slime

Mix 1 cup (240 mL) of soap flakes with 4 cups (950 mL) of hot water. Carefully add the hot water to a large bowl. Measure the soap flakes and place them into the bowl with the water. Stir thoroughly until the flakes fully dissolve.

Add a few drops of food coloring (if desired). Food coloring is optional, but it may make the slime more fun! The more food coloring you add, the brighter your slime will be.

Let the mixture stand for up to an hour, then stir vigorously. Letting the mixture rest allows it to reach the desired gelatinous consistency. Once the hour is up, mix the mixture as quickly as you can. Continue mixing until the mixture is slimy to the touch and easy to pour. Then, play with it as much as you’d like! Don’t be alarmed if the mixture starts to froth up as you stir—this is normal. Store your slime in an airtight container away from direct sunlight and heat, and make a new batch when it hardens.

Edible Slime

Mix a can of sweetened condensed milk and 1 tbsp (10 g) of cornstarch. Place a pan on your stovetop. Add 1 tbsp (10 g) of cornstarch to the milk and stir until the ingredients are well-combined.

Heat the mixture over low heat and remove once it thickens. Set your burner to low and constantly stir the mixture as it heats up. If you don’t stir continuously, the mixture may stick to your pan and burn. Remove the mixture from the heat once it becomes gelatinous and hard to stir.

Add 10 to 15 drops of food coloring to the mixture. Choose any color you want! Green is always a classic, but experiment or allow your kids to pick a color. The more food coloring you add, the brighter your slime will be.

Allow the mixture to cool completely before playing or eating it. Before you start playing with your slime, let it cool down so it’s safer to touch (about an hour or so). Once cool, remove the slime from the pan and squeeze it between your hands, taking an occasional taste. This slime may stain surfaces, so lay down a placemat or paper towel before playing.