How To Make Silly Putty With Clear Glue

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Silly putty is a gooey, stretchy, bouncy substance that's fun for all ages. It was accidentally invented during World War II, when a chemist was trying to create a synthetic substitute for rubber, and it's been delighting kids and adults ever since!^[1] If you want to play with silly putty but you don't have any on hand, don't worry, because it's easy to make at home! The glue and borax method will produce putty most like the commercial product, but the other ways of making putty are fun to play with as well.

1
Squeeze a small bottle of clear school glue into a bowl. Purchase a 4-ounce (118-milliliter) bottle of clear school glue. Open up the cap, and squeeze everything into a bowl. Make sure that you use the basic, all-purpose kind of school glue and not the "washable" kind. The washable kind of school glue does not work as well.^[2]
- For more interesting silly putty, get the kind of glue that already has glitter and color mixed into it.
- For opaque silly putty, use regular white school glue.
2
Add some color and glitter, if desired. Squeeze in a few drops of food coloring. Next, add in a few spoonfuls of extra-fine glitter. Stir everything together until the color is even and the glitter is spread evenly throughout.
- Skip this step if your glue already has color and glitter in it.
3

Stir ½ cup (120 milliliters) of water into the glue. Keep stirring until the glue and water are completely mixed together. Set the bowl aside when you are done.
4
Mix some borax with warm water. Pour ½ cup (120 milliliters) of warm water into a cup. Add 1 teaspoon of borax. Stir the two together until the borax has dissolved.^[3]
- If you are a child, have an adult supervise you.
5

Stir the borax water into the glue water. Keep stirring the two together again until the glue starts to turn into gel. You will have a clump of gel in your bowl, with some water, glitter, and color around it.^[4]
6
Knead the putty. Pick up the glob of gel from the bowl. Knead and squish it with your fingers for about 5 to 10 minutes. There may still be some water and glue in the bowl, which is fine. The borax will have picked up as much glue as it could have.^[5]
- If you have sensitive skin, it may be a good idea to put on a pair of plastic gloves during this step.
7

Play with the silly putty. You can stretch it, bounce it, and pull it apart. When you are done playing with it, put it into a plastic, resalable container, such as a lidded box or a zippered bag. When you take it out again, you may need to knead it again for another 5 to 10 minutes.

1
Pour 1 bottle of clear school glue into a bowl. Purchase a 5-ounce (147-milliliter) bottle of clear school glue. Unscrew the cap and pour the glue into a mixing bowl.
- For interesting silly putty, use the type of school glue that already has glitter in it.
- For opaque silly putty, use white school glue instead.
2

Add a few drops of liquid watercolor or food coloring. This will give your silly putty extra color. Stir in a few drops, then add more if you want a deeper or darker color. If your glue already has color and glitter in it, skip this step.
3
Add in some glitter, if desired. How much glitter you add is entirely up to you. For best results, use the extra-fine scrapbooking glitter, and not the chunky craft kind. If your glue already has glitter in it, skip this step.
- For metallic putty, try mica powder instead.
4

Stir everything together. Keep stirring until the color is even and the glitter is spread throughout the glue. You can do this step with a spoon, fork, or even a popsicle stick.
5
Stir in some liquid starch a little bit at a time. Pour in a small amount of liquid starch, then give the mixture a stir. Keep adding starch and stirring until the glue and starch comes together and forms a putty.
- Plan on using ½ to ¾ cup (120 to 180 milliliters) total.
- Avoid using too much starch, or the silly putty will turn hard.
6

Knead the putty together. At one point, the putty will clump together and become difficult to stir. Once that happens, take the lump of putty out of the bowl and knead it until it turns firm. There may be some liquid left in the bowl, which is fine.
7

Play with the putty. Silly putty is similar to slime or Gak, except that it is more firm. You can stretch it and bounce it. When you are done playing with it, put it into a plastic, zippered bag. You can also use a plastic box with a tight-fitting lid.

1

Pour ½ cup (120 milliliters) of dish soap into a bowl. Your silly putty will turn the same color as the dish soap that you are using. If you want a certain color, stir in a few drops of food coloring into clear dish soap.^[6]
2

Add some glitter, if desired. How much glitter you use is up to you. A few spoonfuls should do. Try to use the extra-fine glitter rather than the chunky kind. It will make your putty look more like the store-bought kind!
3
Mix in 1 cup (125 grams) of cornstarch. Stir everything together with a spoon, then switch to using your hands. At first, you will get a crumbly mixture, but then it will turn into a gel the more you work with it. Don't worry if there is some corn starch or dish soap at the bottom of the bowl.^[7]
- If it is very dry in your home, you may need to add more dish soap.
- If you can't find cornstarch, look for cornflour (not cornmeal).
4

Knead the mixture until the silly putty comes together. It will be sticky and gooey. You may have some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl, which is normal.
5

Play with the putty. You can stretch it, ball it up, and bounce it. When you don't want to play with it any more, put it into a plastic, zippered baggie. You can also use a plastic box with a lid instead.

Add New Question

Question

Is this non-toxic?

No, it is toxic. There are alternate methods without any of the harmful ingredients, such as detergent and borax.
Question

Can I use baking soda instead of borax?

Yes, you can use it to make silly putty. But you need to use a different method to use baking soda as an ingredient.
Question

Can I use any kind of glue in the baby powder slime?

It is suggested to use the normal white glue, instead of the clear glue. It will have better consistency.
Question

How can I make Silly Putty without glue?

Use the following ingredients: shampoo, shower gel, salt, borax, cornstarch, liquid starch, flour, baby powder, liquid laundry detergent, and powdered detergent.
Question

Can I just make it with only glue and 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner?

You cannot mix glue and shampoo together as it will not form silly putty. Conditioner will make the consistency thinner instead of making the ingredients stick and join. The best methods are using laundry detergent and glue or borax and glue.
Question

Why is everything to make slime unhealthy?

Slime is unhealthy. It is suggested that you use a bowl you will never use again after making silly putty in it, especially when using something toxic like laundry detergent.
Question

Will the food coloring rub off on my hands and other things?

No. The ingredients will absorb the color, but it may wear off if the consistency is incorrect or the method is not suitable.
Question

Can foot powder be substituted for baby powder?

Yes, but the consistency will not satisfy you, and it will not form the perfect texture of silly putty.
Question

Should I try this if my parents aren't home?

That's your decision. Either ask your mom to hand you the ingredients or do it when they aren't home.
Question

Can I use clear glue to make silly putty?

You can use clear glue. You can make it fancier by adding glitter.

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If the putty is watery, add more of the dry ingredients. Add more wet ingredients if you want your putty to be wetter and slimier.
Cover your work area with newspaper or a cheap, plastic tablecloth.
If your dish soap putty starts to dry out, add a pump of dish soap back into it.
To make your silly putty even more like the store-bought "Silly Putty," store it in a plastic Easter Egg.
Some types of putty will require more mixing and kneading than others.
Almost all types of putty will eventually dry out.
Make your putty last longer by keeping it in the fridge.
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.
Play around with the proportions to make the putty more firm or more slime-like.
You will almost always have some liquid left at the bottom of your bowl. This is normal.
If the room you make the putty in is hot put your putty in the fridge for about 10 minutes and then mix again.
All-purpose school glue seems to work better than the washable kind.^[8]
Not all brands of liquid starch are created equal. Some work better than others. For example, Sta-Flo works better than Niagra.^[9]

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

If you have sensitive skin, wear plastic gloves when making the borax and glue putty.
Keep the putty away from cloth and fabric surfaces. It can get stuck and become difficult to remove.
Keep the putty away from younger children and pets. It can be dangerous if swallowed. Keep the number for your local poison control center handy in case of ingestion.
Food coloring can stain, so be sure to wear old clothes and to cover your counter. If you get silly putty on your clothes, see How to Get Silly Putty Out of Clothes for advice on getting it off.
Borax can be dangerous if not properly diluted, and extended contact can lead to burns.

Things You'll Need

* 1 5-ounce (147-milliliter) bottle of clear school glue

½ to ¾ cup (120 to 180 milliliters) liquid starch
Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
Extra-fine glitter (optional)
Mixing bowl
Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
Plastic zippered baggie

1 4-ounce (118-milliliter) bottle of school glue
½ cup (120 milliliters) water
1 teaspoon borax
½ cup (120 milliliters) warm water
Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
Extra-fine glitter (optional)
Mixing bowl
Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
Plastic zippered baggie

8 ounces (240 milliliters) school glue
¼ cup (60 milliliters) laundry detergent
Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
Extra-fine glitter (optional)
Mixing bowl
Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
Plastic zippered baggie

1 cup (125 grams) of cornstarch
½ cup (120 milliliters) dish soap
Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
Extra-fine glitter (optional)
Mixing bowl
Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
Plastic zippered baggie

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To make silly putty, pour 8 oz (240ml) of all-purpose school glue into a bowl. If you like, add a few drops of food coloring or glitter to the glue. Then add 1/4 cup (60ml) of liquid laundry detergent to the bowl. Keep stirring until the glue starts to ball up and harden. Then, knead the mixture with your hands until it turns into putty.

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