How to make slime – more than 50 great recipe ideas for preparing the sticky goo everyone loves

by John Griffith
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Slime is the newest addition to the ever-growing list of DIY moulding toys popular with kids at the moment. The sticky goo comes in hundreds of different varieties, thanks to the boundless imagination of creative parents and children worldwide. But what is the reason for slime’s success? Even though it doesn’t serve any concrete purpose, people of all ages enjoy playing with it, as it provides a unique tactile experience, and even serves as a stress reliever of sorts. Some DIY enthusiasts make playing with slime even more enjoyable, by experimenting with different colorants, glitter and decorations. If you are wondering how to make slime you can find some of our favorite recipes bellow. Also, don’t forget to visit our special article devoted entirely to fluffy slime.

How to make slime at home?

how to make slime, sparkling shiny goo in purple, with pink and blue glitter, being poured on a hand, and being played with by a young boy

Before we get started, there are some important points to remember

  • Do not let young children make or play with slime without adult supervision!
  • Was your hands thoroughly after you’ve been in contact with slime
  • The key ingredient in most slime recipes is a mixture of glue and boric acid (contact lens solution). Although this mixture is usually harmless, there have been some reports of side effects or irritation. If you do not feel comfortable using boric acid, please consider using a recipe that substitutes it for corn starch or washing up liquid.

Rainbow slime recipe

rainbow colored slime, long and decorated with glitter, being stretched over a light wooden surface, how to make slime

How to make slime?

This recipe has been inspired by diyprojectsforteens.com

Ingredients:

  • Elmer’s glitter glue in pink, blue, green and purple
  • Boric acid mixed with water (1 teaspoon of boric acid with two table spoons of water)
  • 4 clean mixing bowls

You can replace boric acid with liquid starch, but bear in mind that slime based on liquid starch will be thicker.

Instructions:

  1. Pour the contents of the four glitter glue bottles in four separate bowls.
  2. Slowly begin adding the boric acid and water mixture to the first bowl of glue. Stir, until the paste starts coming away clean from the bowl.
  3. Now, start kneading your slime until you get the right texture – it needs to be elastic and not as sticky. If you feel that it is still too sticky, add some additional drops of boric acid. Then form the slime into balls.
  4. Roll each ball so you get a long oval shape, then gently pinch all shapes together to form a rainbow. If you prefer you can mix all colors together to make one bog pile of multicolored goo!

Playing with slime is loads of fun!

six images showing how to make slime, small hands twisting a piece of light blue goo, four piles in different colors, pink and green, blue and purple

Boric acid-free slime recipe

Looking for boric acid-free option? Check out the recipes over at Instructables!

Ingredients and utensils needed:

  • 3 cups* of shaving cream (scentless, if possible)
  • 1/2 cup of Elmer’s glue
  • food coloring
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of contact lens solution (containing boric acid)
  • large bowl for mixing, a spatula, and measuring spoons
  • airtight container for storing

*1 cup = 1 regular US cup

Instructions:

  1. Pour 3 cups of shaving cream into your mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of glue and stir well, until you get a smooth and even mixture.
  2. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice. If you’d like to get the same hue as the one pictured bellow, you will need a few drops of green and a single drop of light blue tint.
  3. Now pour the baking soda and mix well.
  4. Add the contact lens solution to the mixture. Using the spatula, stir thoroughly until you get the right slime consistency. You will know that your slime is ready once it starts coming off the bowl.
  5. Knead the slime in your hands to make it more flexible. If it feels too wet, put it back in the bowl and set it aside for a bit, then try kneading it again.
  6. Following the same instructions, you can make slime in many different colors, and even combine all of them into one.
  7. Store your slime in an airtight container to prevent it from going bad.

Fluffy slime recipe with shaving cream

fluffy pale minty green goo, how to make slime, explained in six images, pouring shaving cream and glue, mixing food colorant

The result: a super soft goo that’s pleasant to the touch

sticky and stretchy, pale mint green goo, kneaded by two hands, how to make slime, mixed with some hot pink goop, to make one big pile

DIY slime with essential oil

Ingredients:

  • 120 ml. clear glue
  • 2 teaspoons of boric acid
  • 230 ml. of cold water
  • 80 ml. of hot water
  • some small polystyrene beads
  • glitter in colors of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil
  • 1 teaspoon of food coloring in your preferred color

Instructions:

  1. Mix the clear glue and the cold water into a bowl.
  2. Add the polystyrene beads, the essential oil, the glitter and the food colorant, and stir.
  3. In a second, smaller bowl, mix the hot water and the boric acid.
  4. Pour the boric acid and water solution into the first bowl. Mix well.
  5. Your stress relieving, aromatherapy lavender slime is ready to use!

Essential oil aromatherapy slime for stress relief – an easy recipe you can make at home

shimmering pink slime, with pale pink glitter, the recipe and process explained in six images, how to make slime, adding ingredients and mixing different colors

How to make slime with baking soda?

You can find some slime recipes without boric acid over at Kinder Craze.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of contact lens solution
  • 180 ml. glitter glue in your preferred color

Instructions:

  1. Pour the glitter glue into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the baking soda and stir thoroughly.
  3. Mix in the contact lens solution, and continue stirring until you get a homogenous goo.
  4. Start kneading with your hands, until the slime is fully ready. If it feels too sticky, add a few extra drops of contact lens solution.

Slime is a great way of teaching little ones about the sense of touch, as it helps them explore different textures

kids in pink clothes, playing with pale violet goo, decorated with glitter, how to make slime, stretchy and sticky moulding clay

How to make slime with contact lens solution

fluffy slime, young child mixing ingredients into a clear plastic bowl, baking soda and contact lens solution, purple glittery goo

This ultra slimy goo has been made without using glue or boric acid

hands holding a large piece of fluffy slime, glossy and smooth, with pink and silver glitter, shaped into a round pile

Easter-themed slime, inside colorful plastic eggs…

plastic easter eggs, six in different shades of pink, and three larger clear ones, all containing diy moulding goo, fluffy slime

…they are really fun and easy to make.

white glue being poured into a small bowl, sachet of baking soda, bottles of saline solution, and glitter glue, fluffy slime inside colorful, plastic easter eggs

More lovely rainbow slime

brown-haired child, playing wth a large piece of fluffy slime, next image shows five strips of goo, in different colors, and a large multicolored pile

Kinds will have hours of fun, playing with this cool DIY goo

small child pressing his or ehr hand, into a large pile of blue, fluffy slime, placed on a smooth, white surface or floor

Scented slime in iridescent hues

pyramid made from six jars, stacked on top of each other, each jar contains fluffy slime, in a different pearlescent color, next image shows, hand holding rusty brown goo, over a white bowl

Basic slime recipe with liquid glue

how to make slime with glue and detergent, mixing the ingredients in a bowl, adding food coloring, and mixing everything together

Another fun suggestion for Easter

tiny hand holding a green, egg-shaped piece of slime, over an egg carton, containing red and blue, purple and yellow eggs, how to make slime with glue

These minion slime jars make great party favors!

minions goop in yellow, with googly eye stickers, how to make slime with glue, three clear jars, filled with slime, and decorated to look like minions

And how cute are these pineapple jars filled with yellow slime?

pineapples made from small jars, with green paper leaves, stuck to their lids, all jars are filled with yellow goo, how to make slime with glue, more yellow goo nearby

The ever popular galaxy slime

semi-transparent goo, in glittering purple, with pink and blue streaks, how to make slime with glue, hands with red and blue nail polish

Pink and red slime sachets with glitter hearts – an original gift for Saint Valentine’s day

will you be my valen-slime, written on a white labels, with a drawings of different monsters, attached to sachets, containing red and pink slime, with added pink glitter hearts, how to make slime with glue, on a white surface

Gold slime is really fun to play with

toys made out of colorful plastic, placed on top of a pile of gold slime, with added glitter, how to make slime with glue, child's hands holding one toy

Fluffy slime for New Year Eve fun

how to make slime with borax, two plastic pots, containing silver and gold metallic slime, placed on a black surface, near some glittering golden decorations

Slime honey jars – an irresistibly cute DIY idea

gooey yellow slime, made in four easy steps, and poured into several hand-painted, ceramic pots with the words honey written on them, how to make slime with borax

If your kids are fans of Lego Ninjago, they are bound to love these cool hand-painted slime pots

lego ninjago inspired slime pots, six small jars, painted in black and white, and decorated with different colors, stacked into a pyramid, how to make slime with borax, next image shows different slime, seeping from each jar

the process of making lego ninjago slime jars, adding the ingredients, and the coloring, how to make slime with borax, pouring the mixture into each pot

One mug of hot slime with marshmallows, please!

cocoa with marshmallows, made from brown chocolate-like goo, stuck to a large white mug, how to make slime with borax, glue and other ingredients

This slime Nutella might look scrumptious, but sadly it’s not edible!

brown slimy goo, held over a white plate, by two small hands, how to make slime with borax, chocolate-colored stretchy slime

A fun variation of the Easter slime mentioned above, this time with added felt balls

easter slime idea, mixing glue and baking soda, adding coloring and multicolored felt beads, how to make slime with borax, pastel pink yellow and blue goo, pouring from plastic eggs

elmer's glue slime, hot pink with added fine glitter, being kneaded by a hand in one photo, and simply held in another

There are thousands of different slime recipes and just as many cool decorations to experiment with!

different kinds of slime, textured pink slime with beads, elmer's glue slime, unicorn glitter slime, blue mermaid slime, turquoise slime with stars and toys

Mermaid glitter slime, decorated with tiny foam figurines

mermaid goop in light blue, with fine pink and blue glitter, elmer's glue slime, decorated with tiny mermaid-shaped figurines, made from colorful foam

Create a festive atmosphere with cool Christmas slime

the grinch and a snowman, and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, made from small jars, filled with green, white and brown elmer's glue slime, gold glitter goo, and cookie dough slime

How to make slime for Christmas – check out this gingerbread-scented goo

christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter, with green plastic edges, being pressed onto beige elmer's glue slime, decorated with colorful plastic buttons

Children will love making their own slime cookies

gingerbread man cookie cutter, pressed on a piece of beige, elmer's glue slime, child playing with the gooey and stretchy slime

Irresistibly fluffy Valentine’s Day slime

soft and fluffy elmer's glue slime, looking like pink cotton candy, with a small plastic red heart, and two heart shaped prints

This slime was made using shaving foam and a saltine solution

how to make slime with shaving cream, hand holding half of a red plastic container, shaped like a heart, oozing pink fluffy slime

Half the fun of slime is the process of making it!

creating soft slime, with red and white coloring, mixing ingredients in a bowl, with a spatula, little child stretching the finished goo, how to make slime with shaving cream

We love this neon pink glittering goo!

slime recipe with borax, hand holding a stretchy, neon pink piece of slime, with added glitter, over a black and white surface, with heart shapes and confetti

How to make slime with multicolored confetti

confetti and glitter, and other decorations, inside a pile of purple goo, kneaded by small hands, slime recipe with borax

sequins and confetti, glitter and other decorations, near a bowl of purple goop, slime recipe with borax, seen from different angles

What do you think about this ice cream slime?

ice cream-like slime in red, green and pale pink, with small white beads, slime recipe with borax, poured into two multicolored paper cups

Make your date laugh with this unusual box of (sadly inedible) slime chocolates

valentine's day gift, pale beige inedible chocolates, made from slime, slime recipe with borax, decorated with beads in different shapes and colors

red plastic heart-shaped candy box, containing chocolates made from slime, slime recipe with borax, glue and shaving cream

Glow in the dark slime in a decorated jar – a great idea for Halloween 

glow-in-the-dark slime in pale green, slime recipe with borax, process of making explained in eight images, adding the ingredients, pouring them into a jar and decorating

Cool galaxy slime with pearlescent, metallic sheen

metallic-effect galaxy slime in pink, with hints of blue and orange, how to make slime with shaving cream, stuck to the fingers of a hand, holding it over a glass bowl with more slime

Festive multicolored confetti slime

round confetti in different colors and sizes, decorating a piece of white slime, held in two pale hands, how to make slime with shaving cream, more confetti strewn about

kneading and stretching, pressing and playing, with coral pink slime, how to make slime with shaving cream, two hands and a white surface

Celebrate the end of the school year, with these adorable, ocean-themed slime packets

labels with colorful writing, and a drawing of a cartoon fish, tied to a clear plastic bag, containing ocean-inspired slime, how to make slime with shaving cream, glitter and tiny plastic fish ornaments

fish made form plastic, and some glitter, decorating a turquoise piece of goo, how to make slime with shaving cream, placed inside a clear plastic bag

lemons and limes, and two thank you notes, in yellow and green, placed near two round pieces of slime, decorated like citrus fruit, hand squeezing fluffy green slime

Fun christmas gift idea – a jar of slime, accompanied by a small cookie cutter

ballerina and christmas tree-shaped cookie cutters, in pink and green, placed near slime in corresponding colors, with shapes pressed on it

Christmas tree slime!

star shapes and sequins, in green and red, inside a semi-transparent acid green goo, with added glitter, being stretched by a hand

How to make slime that is not only stretchy but also super soft?

heart-shaped pink glitter flakes, inside a piece of pastel pink slime, stretched over a clear glass bowl, by a small child

girl holding a pile of fluffy, soft light pink slime, with added pink heart-shaped glitter flakes, over a clear glass mixing bowl

frosty blue slime, with glitter and snowflake-shaped confetti, in different shades of blue, mixed in a turquoise plastic bowl, and poured into three jars

gnome decorations made from little jars, decorated with fabric faces, white cotton beards, and red pointy hats, filled with wine red slime

John Griffith
John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.

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