How to Make Slime

By Christie

Make slime at home with this simple recipe. It is recommended to use gloves when mixing. Store in an air tight container, and it's a good chemistry lesson on polymers!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon borax
• 1 1/2 cup water, divided
• 1/2 cup clear gel glue
• Neon food coloring, optional
• Glow in the dark paint, optional

Preparation

Step 1

There are two components to slime. There is a borax and water solution and a glue, water, and food coloring solution. Prepare them separately.

Mix 1 teaspoon borax in 1 cup of water. Stir until the borax is dissolved.

In a separate container, mix 1/2 cup (4 oz) white glue with 1/2 cup water. Add food coloring, if desired. Neon food coloring gives a great color. Also add a little glow-in-the-dark paint for night time fun.

After you have dissolved the borax and diluted the glue, you are ready to combine the two solutions. Stir one slime solution into the other. Your slime will begin to polymerize immediately.

The slime will become hard to stir after you mix the borax and glue solutions. Try to mix it up as much as you can, then remove it from the bowl and finish mixing it by hand. It's okay if there is some colored water remaining in the bowl.

The slime will start out as a highly flexible polymer. You can stretch it and watch it flow. As you work it more, the slime will become stiffer and more like putty. Then you can shape it and mold it, though it will lose its shape over time. Don't eat your slime and don't leave it on surfaces that could be stained by the food coloring.

Store your slime in a sealed ziplock bag, preferably in the refrigerator. Insect pests will leave slime alone because borax is a natural pesticide, but you'll want to chill the slime to prevent mold growth if you live in an area with high mold count. The main danger to your slime is evaporation, so keep it sealed when you're not using it.