Make Silly Putty

Make a Popping Sound with Silly Putty was accidentally invented during Learn About World War II, when American scientists were trying to create synthetic rubber. Now, it has become a popular toy. This article will teach you how to make the familiar, stretchy goo found in plastic eggs.

10 Second Summary

1. Mix two parts white glue with one part liquid starch. 2. Add some food coloring, if desired.
3. Stir until desired consistency is reached.
4. Take it out of the bowl and shape it with your hands.
5. Store it in a resealable container when you're done playing with it.

Steps

Liquid Starch

  1. Mix two parts white glue with one part liquid starch. The liquid starch (e.g. Sta-Flo) should be concentrated and can usually be found in the laundry section. Some brands will work better than others (Niagara has tested poorly[1]).
    • If you use Elmer's school glue (an American brand of glue) instead of regular white school glue, the putty won't bounce.[2] However, Elmer's all-purpose glue will work.[1]
    • If you'd like, add food coloring in at this stage. Be generous. The color will disperse and lighten up significantly.
  2. Stir until desired consistency is reached. If you need to, adjust the proportions until it feels like commercial Silly Putty.
  3. When it's mostly formed, take it out of the bowl and shape it with your hands. It may need to be worked with a bit to achieve the best results. Roll it around, stretch it apart, and contort it to get it going.
  4. Place in a clear, plastic, resealable container when you're finished using it. To keep it for later, your putty needs to stay away from air. It will also keep for a longer period of time if kept in the refrigerator. Alternatively, keep it in a resealable plastic bag. Just make sure it's sealed up all the way.

Laundry Detergent

  1. Pour 1/4 cup of white glue into a container. The amount should be roughly the same as the total amount of putty you’d like to end with. If you'd like more, adjust the recipe as necessary.
  2. Mix in food coloring if desired. Simply squeeze several drops into the glue and stir well.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent. Never substitute this with dish soap, as the consistencies are not the same. You may find that liquid works better than powdered, but both will do the job.
  4. Stir well. As you stir, the mixture will turn from a sticky, gooey mess to a semi-solid, putty-like consistency. If it's remaining sticky after a few minutes of stirring, add in more detergent, bit by bit.
  5. When it has reached a putty-like consistency, knead it with your hands. This will continue to develop the consistency of the putty and squeeze out any excess soap.
    • Store it in an airtight container. Unless you are keeping it warm and pliable with your hands, it should be put away in a plastic container of some sort . Place the container (or whatever you are using) in the fridge to prolong your putty's life.

Borax

  1. Mix 1/4 c (2 oz) glue with 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a bowl. Mix it well until it's one clearly combined consistency. Add the food coloring at this stage if desired. The more you add, the darker your silly putty will be.
  2. Dissolve 1 tbsp (15 g) of Borax in 1/8 cup (30 ml) water. Make sure it's completely dissolved -- you don't want your putty to be grainy. For the record, Borax has been deemed dangerous and should not be ingested.[3] However, it makes for great silly putty.
  3. Combine your two mixtures. As you stir it, you should notice it start to congeal. If it's too sticky, add more Borax. Keep stirring until it mostly resembles silly putty. Then, take it into your hands and knead it for 5-10 minutes.
    • Play away! Your silly putty is ready. As long as it stays warm, it'll stay pliable (and playable).
  4. Store in an airtight container for later use. You may keep it in the fridge too. When you take it out, it will need to get reworked into shape, but after 10 minutes or so, it should come back to life. If you leave it out in the open, it will lose its shape.

Baby Powder Slime

This slime or putty won't bounce or stretch. This can also be used as air dry clay.

  1. Add about 5 tablespoons of baby powder in a bowl or cup for mixing.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of glue. For a more liquid slime, add 2 tablespoons.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Store in an airtight container.
  5. Use. Play on non-stick surfaces only. Do not put on tablecloth etc. Always have a place-mat or a surface where it is okay to get messy.

Soap Slime

  1. Mix equal parts liquid clear soap or shower gel and shampoo.
  2. Mix well.
  3. Stand aside to clear.
  4. Place in the refrigerator to set. After a few hours, put it in overnight; it should form a reasonably solid slime to play with. Alternatively, put in the freezer for a shorter time.
  5. Finished.
    • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator in between uses. Discard within a month, or earlier if filthy.

Soap And Flour Slime

  1. Mix equal parts of flour and soap.
  2. Mix well. (If needed, knead it with your hand or with gloves on.)
  3. Let sit for about 5 minutes in room temperature.
  4. Knead the putty. If its too sticky, add a small amount of flour.
  5. Finished! Enjoy your new creation!

Tips

  • You can put it in the fridge to help it stay fresh and prevent mold.
  • To avoid an unnecessary mess, put down some old newspapers and have your child wear an old shirt or apron.
  • Borax can be dangerous if not properly diluted, and extended contact can lead to burns.
  • You might want to keep the emptied glue bottle handy, putting a small amount of water in it to clean it up. When your slime hardens to much by accident, add the water-glue solution.
  • Knead the putty well. For some variations, it'll need a little coaxing.
  • Make sure you wash your hands after as you might get dirty hands.
  • Be careful where you put it down for it is fun and messy!
  • Make sure you wear an old shirt and gloves you don't know what could happen!
  • Adding too much water will make a very watery consistency.
  • Add less water and the results turn out better.
  • Try to knead it so it won't dry out later.
  • If you're creating soap putty and it doesn't set quickly, keep it longer in the fridge.
  • Keep it in a good container to keep it from drying out.
  • Try not to use too much glue, or it will become too sticky and slimy.
  • If it's too sticky, then add more detergent and it will get the perfect consistency.
  • If you want to do the shower gel and shampoo method, you can also use just shampoo(or hand soap)and add a little bit of salt then put into the freezer for about 30 minutes.
  • As an alternative to the soap slime, you can use hand soap combined with corn starch and a little bit of salt. You can actually use the resulting putty to wash your hands as well as play with. Just pinch a little chunk off, add water and lather. Great for getting kids to wash their hands more often. The color of the soap determines the color of the putty, but you can add food coloring to alter the color. You can even add glitter, but keep in mind that this putty is opaque (non-translucent). Clear soap will make white putty. You can also substitute hand soap for shampoo, body wash or dish soap.
  • Use a plastic container to keep your putty fresh.
  • When you are making any slime don't touch it or else you may mess the slime up.

Warnings

  • When working with food coloring, cover surfaces and use disposable gloves; food coloring is difficult to wash off and can become permanent if not rinsed away while it’s still wet.
  • Do not digest the putty. The ingredients are not edible and in fact can be very dangerous.
  • Keep away from cloth surfaces. Putty sticks to clothing and cannot easily be removed.
  • Some do-it-yourself silly putty recipes call for the use of borax. Be aware that borax has been deemed “toxic for reproduction” and is on the EU’s Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) list.[4]

Things You'll Need

With Liquid Starch

  • 2:1 ratio of white glue to liquid starch
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Resealable container
  • Food coloring (optional)

With Laundry Detergent

  • Bowl
  • 1/4 cup white glue
  • 2 tablespoons laundry detergent
  • Food coloring (if desired)
  • Spoon
  • Resealable container

With Borax

  • 1/4 cup white glue
  • 1 tablespoon Borax
  • 3/8 cup water
  • Bowl
  • Spoon
  • Resealable container
  • Food coloring (if desired)

Baby Powder

  • 5 tablespoons baby powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons glue
  • Mixing bowl and implement
  • Airtight container
  • Non-stick surface for play (plastic tray, wood, etc.)

Soap Slime

  • Liquid clear soap
  • Shower gel
  • Mixing container

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/homemade-silly-putty/
  2. ↑ Source of method on Cooks.com
  3. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax#Toxicity
  4. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20110725113454/http://echa.europa.eu/doc/candidate_list/svhc_supdoc_disodium_tetraborate_anhydrous_publication.pdf European Chemicals Agency report on borax toxicity
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_Silly_Putty&oldid=281623"