Slime Recipes: 12 Easy Ways to Make Slime at Home

Here is how to make slime 12 different ways. Every slime recipe on this page uses ingredients from a grocery store or craft aisle, comes with exact amounts and tells you what to do when your slime turns out sticky, runny or rock hard. There are recipes with glue, recipes without glue, recipes with no activator at all and one you can even taste.

We checked every amount against recipes from glue makers, science educators and children’s play experts, and we explain why each ingredient works. Once you understand that, you can fix any slime and invent your own.

Which slime recipe should you make?

Start with recipe #1 if you have never made slime before. It is the easiest slime recipe and the base for most of the others. Use this chart to pick the texture you want.

Slime recipe	Texture	Activator	Lasts
1. Basic contact solution slime	Smooth, stretchy	Contact solution + baking soda	About 1 week
2. Borax slime	Firm, very stretchy	Borax solution	About 1 week
3. Liquid starch slime	Soft, pully	Liquid starch	Several days
4. Fluffy slime	Airy, puffy	Contact solution + baking soda	Fluffiest for 1 day
5. Clear slime	Glassy	Contact solution + baking soda	About 1 week
6. Glitter and galaxy slime	Sparkly	Contact solution + baking soda	About 1 week
7. Butter slime	Soft, spreadable	Contact solution + baking soda	4 to 5 days
8. Cloud slime	Drizzly, snowy	Contact solution + baking soda	Several days
9. Crunchy slime	Bumpy, crunchy	Contact solution + baking soda	About 1 week
10. No-glue slime	Soft, doughy	None	Same day
11. Oobleck	Liquid and solid	None	Same day
12. Edible marshmallow slime	Chewy, taste-safe	None	Same day

The Base–Bond–Body Formula: how every slime recipe works

Every slime recipe has the same three parts. We call it the Base–Bond–Body Formula. Learn it once and you’ll know why a recipe works, how to fix it and how to make your own.

• Base: the stuff that becomes slime. Usually that’s PVA school glue, which is full of long, chain-like molecules. Cornstarch and marshmallows are the no-glue bases.
• Bond: the slime activator. It links those long glue molecules together so the liquid turns stretchy. Borax, contact lens solution with baking soda and liquid starch are the three common bonds.
• Body: the add-in that gives the texture. Shaving cream makes fluffy slime, soft clay makes butter slime, instant snow makes cloud slime and foam beads make crunchy slime.

Almost every slime problem is a Bond problem. Sticky slime has too little activator, and hard, rubbery slime has too much. Keep that in mind and the Fix-It chart further down will make sense in seconds.

What you need to make slime

These are the basic slime ingredients for the glue recipes. The no-glue recipes need even less.

• PVA school glue: white or clear washable school glue. Most of our recipes use 1/2 cup, which is one 4-ounce bottle. Glue sticks and super glue won’t work.
• A slime activator: contact lens solution plus baking soda, liquid starch or borax powder. The contact solution must list boric acid and sodium borate in its ingredients, or the slime won’t form.
• Baking soda: it helps contact solution firm up the slime. On its own it does nothing.
• Water, food coloring and add-ins: shaving cream (the foam, not gel), glitter, foam beads, soft air-dry clay or instant snow powder, depending on the recipe.
• Tools: a bowl, a spoon or spatula, measuring cups and spoons, and an airtight container for storage. A plastic placemat makes cleanup easy.

How to make slime: 12 easy slime recipes, step by step

Each slime recipe below shows its Base, Bond and Body, how long it takes and how long it lasts. Recipes 1 to 9 use glue. Recipes 10 to 12 are slime without glue and without an activator.

1. Basic Slime with Contact Solution (the best first slime recipe)

Base: white glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: a little water for stretch

Texture: smooth and stretchy. Time: 10 minutes. Lasts: about a week in an airtight container.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 cup (4 oz) white PVA school glue
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon contact lens solution (with boric acid and sodium borate)
• 2 to 3 drops food coloring (optional)

Tip: add the contact solution slowly. Too much at once makes slime rubbery, and you can’t take it back out.

2. Borax Slime (the classic stretchy slime)

Base: white glue · Bond: borax solution · Body: water

Texture: firm and very stretchy. Time: 10 minutes. Lasts: about a week sealed.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 cup white or clear PVA school glue
• 1/2 cup water (mixed into the glue)
• Activator: 1/4 teaspoon borax powder dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

1. Stir the glue and 1/2 cup water together until smooth. Add color now.
2. An adult stirs 1/4 teaspoon borax powder into 1/2 cup warm water for about a minute, until it fully dissolves.
3. Pour the borax activator into the glue a little at a time, stirring. The slime forms almost instantly, and you may not need all of it.
4. Lift the slime out and knead. It starts stringy and turns smooth. Pour any leftover activator down the drain.

Tip: this is the strongest slime activator, so it is the one to use sparingly. Adults should handle the borax powder, and slime makers should wash their hands after playing. See the safety section below.

3. 2-Ingredient Liquid Starch Slime

Base: white glue · Bond: liquid starch · Body: optional water

Texture: soft and pully. Time: 5 minutes. Lasts: several days sealed.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 cup white PVA school glue
• 1/4 cup water (optional; skip it for a true 2-ingredient slime)
• About 1/2 cup liquid laundry starch

1. Pour the glue into a bowl and stir in the water and color.
2. Add the liquid starch a little at a time, stirring after each pour.
3. When it clumps into a ball, take it out and knead. It’s sticky at first and firms up as you work it.
4. Still sticky? Add a few more drops of starch and keep kneading, but not too much or it turns stringy.

Tip: this is the classic 2-ingredient slime most schools use. It is the quickest slime recipe on the list.

4. Fluffy Slime

Base: white glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: shaving cream

Texture: airy, puffy and soft. Time: 15 minutes. Lasts: fluffiest on day one, playable for about a week.

You’ll need:

• 2/3 cup white PVA school glue
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 to 3 cups shaving cream (the foam, not gel)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons contact lens solution
• Food coloring

1. Stir the glue, water and baking soda together in a large bowl.
2. Fold in 2 to 3 cups of shaving cream, then stir in the food coloring.
3. Add 1 tablespoon contact solution, stir, then knead for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the last 1/2 tablespoon of contact solution and knead until it’s soft and puffy.

Tip: fluffy slime slowly deflates as the shaving cream bubbles pop. That’s normal. It still stretches after it loses its puff.

5. Clear Slime

Base: clear glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: water

Texture: glassy and see-through. Time: 10 minutes, plus 2 to 3 days to clear. Lasts: about a week sealed.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 cup clear PVA school glue
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon contact lens solution

1. Stir the clear glue and water together until completely mixed.
2. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Clear glue needs less than white glue.
3. Add the contact solution slowly and stir until the slime pulls away from the bowl.
4. Knead briefly, then seal it in a container and leave it alone for 2 to 3 days. The bubbles rise out and it turns glass-clear.

Tip: the less you knead clear slime, the clearer it stays. Stretch it gently once it has cleared.

6. Glitter Slime and Galaxy Slime

Base: clear glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: glitter

Texture: sparkly and stretchy. Time: 15 minutes. Lasts: about a week sealed.

You’ll need:

• Everything for recipe #5 (clear slime)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fine glitter
• For galaxy slime: purple, blue and pink (or black) food coloring

1. Glitter slime: make the clear slime recipe, but stir the glitter into the glue before you add the baking soda.
2. Galaxy slime: split the glue and water evenly between three bowls and color each one differently.
3. Add a pinch of glitter, a third of the baking soda and a third of the contact solution to each bowl. Knead each color.
4. Lay the three slimes side by side, twist them together and stretch. Stop before the colors blend into one.

7. Butter Slime

Base: white glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: soft air-dry clay

Texture: soft, smooth and spreadable like butter. Time: 20 minutes. Lasts: 4 to 5 days in a zip bag.

You’ll need:

• 1 cup (8 oz) white PVA school glue
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hand lotion
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons contact lens solution
• 4 oz soft air-dry clay, such as Crayola Model Magic

1. Stir the glue, lotion, baking soda and water together.
2. Add 2 teaspoons contact solution and stir until it thickens. It will still be sticky.
3. Press the clay into the slime and start kneading. It’s messy at first.
4. Keep kneading until the clay disappears and the slime turns soft and buttery. If it’s still sticky, add contact solution a few drops at a time.

Tip: the clay has to be soft and air-dry. Firm modeling clay won’t blend. If you have clay left over, try our air dry clay ideas.

8. Cloud Slime

Base: white glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: instant snow

Texture: drizzly, snowy and soft. Time: 15 minutes. Lasts: several days sealed.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 cup white PVA school glue
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon contact lens solution
• 2 drops food coloring
• 1 teaspoon instant snow powder + 1/4 cup water

1. Stir the glue, baking soda and food coloring together.
2. Add the contact solution and stir until thick and goopy. Set it aside.
3. In a second bowl, stir the instant snow powder into 1/4 cup water. It puffs up into fake snow.
4. Sprinkle a few spoonfuls of snow over the slime, fold it in and knead. Keep adding snow until it feels like a cloud.

Tip: pull cloud slime apart slowly over a bowl. It drizzles down like snow, which is what makes it so satisfying.

9. Crunchy Slime

Base: clear glue · Bond: contact solution + baking soda · Body: foam beads

Texture: bumpy and crunchy when you squeeze it. Time: 10 minutes. Lasts: about a week sealed.

You’ll need:

• Everything for recipe #5 (clear slime) or recipe #1
• About 1/2 cup foam beads

1. Make the clear slime or basic slime recipe.
2. Before the slime cures, sprinkle the foam beads over it.
3. Fold and knead until the beads are spread all through the slime.
4. Squeeze and poke it to hear the crunch. Add more beads for more crunch.

Tip: clear glue shows off the beads best. Keep crunchy slime away from little kids because the beads are a choking risk.

10. No-Glue Slime (cornstarch and dish soap)

Base: cornstarch · Bond: none · Body: dish soap

Texture: soft and doughy. Time: 5 minutes. Lasts: the same day.

You’ll need:

• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup liquid dish soap
• A few drops of food coloring (optional)

1. Put the cornstarch in a bowl and pour in the dish soap.
2. Stir until it starts to clump together.
3. Add the food coloring and knead by hand for about 5 minutes.
4. Too sticky? Add a pinch more cornstarch. Crumbly? Add 2 to 3 drops of dish soap.

Tip: this is the easiest way to make slime without glue or activator. It dries out quickly, so make it, play with it and toss it the same day.

11. Oobleck (cornstarch slime)

Base: cornstarch · Bond: none · Body: water

Texture: runny when you go slow, solid when you squeeze. Time: 5 minutes. Lasts: the same day.

You’ll need:

• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• A few drops of food coloring (optional)

1. Pour the cornstarch into a bowl.
2. Slowly stir in the water. Use a 2-to-1 ratio of cornstarch to water.
3. Mix with your hands until it feels like a thick liquid.
4. Squeeze a handful and it turns solid. Open your hand and it melts through your fingers.

Tip: oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid, so it acts like a solid when you hit it and a liquid when you don’t. Too runny? Add more cornstarch. Scrape it into the trash, never down the sink, because it can clog the drain.

12. Edible Marshmallow Slime (taste-safe)

Base: marshmallows · Bond: none · Body: cornstarch

Texture: chewy and stretchy. Time: 10 minutes. Lasts: the same day.

You’ll need:

• 6 jumbo marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Put the marshmallows and oil in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, until they puff up. An adult should do this step.
3. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch.
4. Let it cool until it’s comfortable to touch, then knead and stretch. Add the rest of the cornstarch for firmer slime.

Tip: this is the only slime recipe here that’s safe if a little one takes a lick. It’s taste-safe, not a snack, and it hardens as it cools.

How to make slime activator (3 ways)

Slime activator is the Bond. It contains borate, which links the glue molecules together. Here are the three ways to make it, with the amount for every 1/2 cup of glue.

Slime activator	How to make it	Per 1/2 cup glue	Best for
Contact solution + baking soda	Use contact lens solution with boric acid and sodium borate	1/2 tsp baking soda + about 1 tbsp solution	Most recipes, gentlest
Liquid starch	Use liquid laundry starch straight from the bottle	1/4 to 1/2 cup	2-ingredient slime
Borax solution	Dissolve 1/4 tsp borax powder in 1/2 cup warm water	Add slowly until it forms	Firm, classic slime (adults mix)

Can you make slime activator without borax? Yes, contact solution with baking soda and liquid starch both work without borax powder. They still contain a small amount of borate, which is what makes them work. For a slime with no borate at all, use recipes 10, 11 or 12.

Why isn’t my contact solution working? Check the label. Saline solutions without boric acid and sodium borate won’t activate slime. Also make sure you added the baking soda.

How to make slime without glue or activator

Glue slime always needs an activator, because glue can’t link up on its own. If you’re out of glue or activator, make one of these instead:

• No-glue slime: 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/3 cup dish soap (recipe #10).
• Oobleck: 1 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup water (recipe #11).
• Edible slime: 6 jumbo marshmallows, 1 tablespoon oil and cornstarch (recipe #12).

Skip the viral “glue and baking soda only” or “shampoo and salt” slimes. Baking soda can’t activate glue without borate, and the freezer slimes fall apart within minutes.

Slime Fix-It chart: sticky, hard or runny slime

Most slime that “didn’t work” is one small fix away. Remember the Formula: sticky means too little Bond, and hard means too much.

Problem	Why it happens	Fix
Too sticky	Not enough activator yet	Knead 2 more minutes, then add activator 1/2 tsp at a time
Hard, rubbery or snaps	Too much activator	Knead in a few drops of warm water or 1 tsp lotion
Runny, won’t come together	No borate in the activator	Check the contact solution label, add baking soda
Dried out	Left uncovered	Knead in warm water a few drops at a time
Fluffy slime went flat	Shaving cream bubbles popped	Normal; enjoy it as stretchy slime
Clear slime is cloudy	Air bubbles from kneading	Seal it and let it rest 2 to 3 days
No-glue slime is crumbly	Too much cornstarch	Knead in 2 to 3 drops of dish soap

How to make slime less sticky: knead it longer first, because a lot of stickiness goes away with kneading. Then add your activator in tiny amounts. Rubbing a little lotion on your hands also helps.

Is homemade slime safe?

Homemade slime is safe for most kids when an adult supervises and everyone washes their hands. The Missouri Poison Center recommends a few simple rules, especially for borax slime:

• An adult handles borax powder. Only use it dissolved in water, never as a powder on skin.
• Wash hands before and after playing. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, and stop if skin turns red or itchy.
• Little kids get taste-safe slime. If a child still puts things in their mouth, make edible marshmallow slime instead.
• Keep slime away from food. Don’t eat or prepare food where you’re making glue or borax slime.
• Take breaks. Avoid playing with borax slime for hours every day. Pregnant women should skip borax recipes.

If someone swallows slime or borax and you’re worried, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). It’s free and open 24/7.

How to store slime and how long it lasts

Store glue slime in an airtight container or a zip-top bag with the air pressed out, at room temperature. Most glue slime lasts about a week, butter slime about 4 to 5 days, and no-glue slime, oobleck and edible slime only the day you make them. Throw slime out if it smells bad, grows spots or gets dirty.

The science of slime (in plain English)

PVA glue is made of long, chain-like molecules called polymers. They slide past each other, so glue pours. When you add an activator, borate links those chains together in a loose net. The links keep breaking and re-forming, so slime stretches, oozes and snaps instead of pouring. That’s why slime is called a non-Newtonian fluid: it acts like a liquid or a solid depending on how hard you push it.

Want to try it as a science experiment? The American Chemical Society has a classroom slime activity, and Wikipedia’s slime article covers the chemistry and how the slime trend took off.

How to get slime out of clothes, carpet and hair

• Scrape off what you can before it dries. Dried slime is much harder to remove.
• Clothes and carpet: soak the spot with white vinegar and scrub with a brush until the slime dissolves. Test hidden spots first. Rinse, then wash clothes as usual.
• Hair: work in a little coconut or olive oil, comb the slime out, then shampoo.

Slime ideas for parties, rainy days and sleepovers

Slime is one of the best screen-free things to do when bored for kids. Set up a slime bar with a base of basic slime and bowls of add-ins, and let everyone build their own Body. It’s a perfect project for a rainy day or a sleepover.

Love squishy, satisfying crafts? Try our paper squishy ideas or the dumpling squishy tutorial next. Older kids who get good at slime can even turn it into one of the crafts to make and sell.

Slime recipe FAQ

Make your first batch today

Start with recipe #1, then use the Base–Bond–Body Formula to switch up the texture: swap the Base, adjust the Bond or add a new Body. Print the free slime recipe cards, clear a table and get kneading.

Got a kid who loves hands-on hobbies? Learn a few easy card tricks for the next rainy afternoon, or take our hobby quiz to find their next obsession.