How to Make Silly Putty

Co-authored by Amber Crain Reviewed by Amy Guerrero

Last Updated: October 12, 2023

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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! 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.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Glue and Borax

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1
Squeeze a small bottle of clear or white 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.^{[1]
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- 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 glue and for a clear silly putty use white 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.
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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.^{[2]
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- If you are a child, have an adult supervise you.
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.^{[3]
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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.^{[4]
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- If you have sensitive skin, it may be a good idea to put on a pair of plastic gloves during this step.
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.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Glue and Liquid Starch

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1
Pour 1 bottle of clear or white glue into a bowl. Purchase a 5-ounce (147-milliliter) bottle of 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 glue and for a clear silly putty use clear glue.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Cornstarch and Dish Soap

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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.^{[5]
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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.^{[6]
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- 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).
It will be sticky and gooey. You may have some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl, which is normal.
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.

Community Q&A

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Question

Is this non-toxic?

Community Answer

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

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Can I use baking soda instead of borax?

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

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

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

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Tips

All-purpose school glue seems to work better than the washable kind.^{[7]
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Not all brands of liquid starch are created equal. Some work better than others. For example, Sta-Flo works better than Niagra.^{[8]
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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.

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Warnings

If you have sensitive skin, wear plastic gloves when making the borax and glue putty.

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Keep the putty away from cloth and fabric surfaces. It can get stuck and become difficult to remove.

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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.

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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.

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Borax can be dangerous if not properly diluted, and extended contact can lead to burns.

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