Have you tried making slime? It’s so much fun! But there are dozens of homemade slime recipes out there and when we first started making slime, we had some pretty epic failures. So we decided to do some testing to find the best slime recipes ever. We tested dozens of different types of slime and learned a ton about how to make slime— what works and what doesn’t. This post will teach you everything you need to know to become a slime master!
If you would rather watch a slime video, scroll down to the bottom of this post! I have also included a printable page with all six slime recipes so you can print it out to refer to while you make slime. It’s at the very bottom of the post too!
Slime can be made in several different ways with different ingredients, but basically you need two parts: glue and an activator.
These are the most common slime activators:
We had great success with both borax and liquid starch, but time and time again we had problems using baking soda and contact lens solution, so we don’t recommend recipes that use them. We didn’t like contact solution slime at all!
We also found a recipe that doesn’t require glue, so you can still make slime even when you’re out of glue.
If you have sensitive skin or are worried about touching the slime, you can wear disposable gloves while mixing slime. I didn’t find this to be necessary and had no adverse reaction to any of the chemicals used, but it’s totally up to you.
We’ll start with the classic easy slime recipe using white Elmer’s glue and Borax. We like this recipe because the slime is stretchy, durable and really fun to play with. Borax can be purchased at stores like Walmart in the laundry detergent aisle. It’s a powder that comes in a big box, so to use it for making slime, you’ll have to dissolve it into hot water. Once you have mixed up the Borax solution, you’ll have way more than you need for just one batch of slime. We put ours into a little travel sized bottle so we could save it for later.
Borax Solution
Troubleshooting Tips: If your slime is sticky, add more borax while kneading. But be careful… if you add too much, the slime will be too stiff and lose its stretchiness.
Some people have concerns about children using borax because it can cause skin irritation. Have no fear! We have a really great slime recipe that doesn’t use any Borax.
For our borax-free slime recipe, we used liquid starch. This is also available in the laundry aisle at stores like Walmart and a giant bottle is only a few dollars. Yay! This slime feels almost exactly the same as the borax slime. We love that it’s stretchy and fun to play with and it’s easier to make than the classic slime recipe. We actually prefer this slime recipe over the one with borax!
If you want extra stretchy slime, add a squirt of hand lotion to the mixture and smoosh it in. Not only will your slime be stretchier, but it will smell amazing too!
The next slime recipe is our favorite because of its unique, fluffy texture. Fluffy slime is light and airy but still stretchy. It’s like playing with a cloud!
What if you want to make slime, but you’re out of glue? This next recipe is for you! We were able to make a fun slime that doesn’t require any glue. It isn’t as stretchy as the other slime recipes and is a bit messy, but it has a powdery soft texture and is still fun to try.
1. Measure conditioner and pour into bowl.
2. Slowly add cornstarch until the mixture is no longer sticky.
You don’t need to add food coloring to this slime because it will stay the color of the dish soap or conditioner. This slime was our least favorite, but in a pinch it works. It doesn’t last overnight either, so if you make this slime, you can only play with it for a day before it gets too crumbly. It smells great, though!
Clear slime is the prettiest because the colors are more vibrant. It’s the best kind of slime to add glitter to, because you can really see it. You can make clear slime with either borax or liquid starch as the activator. If you want to make glitter slime, you can also substitute clear glue for glitter glue and it’ll make an awesome glitter slime.
Borax Solution
omit the water and add 1/4 cup liquid starch
Butter slime (also called cloud slime) is hands-down our favorite slime as far as texture. It’s soft and stretchy and forms really cool shapes. And it’s not sticky or wet at all! The only downside of butter slime is that it takes a special ingredient, Model Magic. You can buy it in the kids craft aisle at Walmart, but it’s much cheaper on Amazon.
Borax Solution
omit the water and add 1/4 cup liquid starch
The best part of making your own slime is that there are so many fun ways to personalize it! Once you’ve mastered one or two of the recipes above, you can get creative and make all kinds of fun slime variations.
Here are some of our favorite things to add to slime:
We also found this awesome slime kit that has lots of cool slime add-ins all in one. It’s going on our Amazon wish list for sure!
We recommend storing your slime creations in a plastic container with an airtight lid. You could use a plastic zip bag, but sometimes it’s hard to get it back out. If you leave your slime sitting out exposed to the air, it will dry out and lose stretchiness, so don’t forget to put it away when you’re done playing.
If you want to see these awesome slimes in action, you’ll definitely want to watch this slime video.
Looking for another fun slime idea?
Check out this BOOGER SLIME. My little boy thinks it’s hilarious!
Note: If you can’t access the files above, it is probably because you are on a work or school computer that blocks access to Google Drive. Try again at home or on an unrestricted computer.
Thanks for stopping by to learn all about making slime. Pin the image below to save this idea for later!
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That's so funny. We've had the best luck with the contact solution. I wonder what it is that makes it work sometimes and not others.
its awsome can you have the paper slime and your thing pleaseTips & Tricks:
– Elmer’s sells an already-made slime activator made from baking soda and contact solution (you could make it yourself).
– You can make marshmallow slime with melted marshmallow and powdered sugar.
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