Basic Slime Recipe – Blue Star Glitter

I thought it was well overdue for my preschooler and I to get on the slime band wagon! I’ve been meaning to make slime for so long. I’ve finally found some spare time to give the basic slime recipe a go. And I can’t believe how easy it is!

If you’re like me and haven’t tried slime making with your family yet, then you definitely should it’s great fun! Maybe even a little addictive. I’m already wanting to try all the different versions of slime out.

But I should tell you before you start, we didn’t find it as straight forward as all the videos and posts out there make it look. It took us 5 attempts before it actually worked!

Once we sussed it out, it was so easy from there. But here’s what we learnt not to do:

Here are some tips before you start 

1. Our first fatal mistake was buying the wrong glue ( I didn’t even realise this was possible). I just thought white craft glue was pretty much PVA. Turns out it’s not. So make sure you check that the glue you pick up doesn’t have alcohol in it, otherwise it will separate as soon as you add the water! It is best to use PVA or Elmers glue.

2. This is a science, so getting the ratios right really is important. So get out those measuring cups and spoons.

3. It can take a few minutes for the mixture to come together so just keep stirring. Also if your mixture comes together but there seems to be a lot of liquid left behind, simply pull out the combined mixture and knead it on the bench, it will start to come together.

Basic Slime Recipe – Blue Star Glitter

What you need

• 1/2 C warm water
• 1/2 C PVA glue
• Glitter
• Food colouring
• 1 medium bowl
• A mixing spoon

Borax solution

• 1/2 C of hot water
• 1 tsp of Borax powder (we bought ours from Bunnings)

What to do

1. Pour half a cup of PVA glue into your bowl
2. Add half a cup of water to your PVA glue and mix well. Make sure it’s completely combined.
3. Once the PVA and water are mixed well, you can add in a little food colouring and glitter if you wish.
4. In a seperate cup make up the borax solution by combining half a cup of hot water with 1 tsp of borax powder, and stir until most of the borax is dissolved.
5. Add the borax solution to the glue and water mixture, and mix really well for a few minutes. The solution will start to come together.
6. Once the solution is combined, take it out of the bowl and knead lightly on a bench. It might seem very wet at first but keep kneading, you’ll be surprised at the result!

Storing

You can store you slime in a ziplock bag or a sealable plastic container. The slime will keep for at least a few weeks, up to a month. Over time the slime can become sticky, or brittle, and often gets bits of dirt and dust in it. And that’s about the time to whip up another batch and see what else you can create!

The science behind slime – It’s all about the ‘polymers’

Ever wondered how slime works. Well check out this amazing explanation by the good people over at ThoughtCo:

The basic explanation of how slime works is that chemicals are mixed together to form ‘polymers’. The polymers act as a net, with molecules sliding against each other.

1. Two solutions are combined to make classic slime. One is diluted school glue (PVA glue) or polyvinyl alcohol in water. The other solution is borax (Na2B4O7.10H2O) in water.
2. Borax dissolves in water into sodium ions, Na+, and tetraborate ions.
3. The tetraborate ions react with water to produce the OH- ion and boric acid: B4O72-(aq) + 7 H2O <—> 4 H3BO3(aq) + 2 OH-(aq)
4. Boric acid reacts with water to form borate ions: H3BO3(aq) + 2 H2O <— > B(OH)4-(aq) + H3O+(aq)
5. Hydrogen bonds form between the borate ion and the OH groups of the polyvinyl alcohol molecules from the glue, linking them together to form a new polymer (slime).

Troubleshooting Your Slime: Common Issues and Quick Fixes

Making slime can be a fun and simple process, but sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. If your slime isn’t turning out the way you’d like, here are some common issues and easy fixes:

1. Slime is Too Runny

• Issue: The slime is too watery or doesn’t hold together.
• Fix: Add a little more Borax solution, one teaspoon at a time. Stir well, and knead until the desired consistency is achieved. You might need to let it sit for a few minutes to thicken up.

2. Slime is Too Sticky

• Issue: The slime sticks to your hands or the surface when playing with it.
• Fix: Knead in a small amount of contact lens solution or add a few drops of baby oil to make the slime less sticky. Be careful not to add too much or it may become too stretchy!

3. Slime is Too Hard or Rubbery

• Issue: The slime is stiff and doesn’t stretch properly.
• Fix: Add a little more warm water, then knead it until it softens. If it’s too rubbery, it could be that too much Borax was added. You can adjust this by adding more glue to balance the consistency.

4. Slime Doesn’t Hold Together

• Issue: The slime keeps falling apart or doesn’t stay in one piece.
• Fix: Make sure you’ve added enough glue to the mix. If it’s too dry, add a little more glue and warm water, and then knead until it forms a more cohesive slime.

5. Slime is Too Stringy

• Issue: The slime pulls into long, stringy strands and doesn’t come together easily.
• Fix: Try adding a small amount of lotion or a few drops of vegetable oil and kneading it in. This will help smooth out the texture and make it stretch more easily.

And now you know!

You might also like to check out our Magic Potions article, which is great for this age. And be sure to check out the hundreds of after crafting ideas in our Creative arts and crafts section.

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