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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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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]
    • 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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    Keep stirring until the glue and water are completely mixed together. Set the bowl aside when you are done.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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]
    • If you are a child, have an adult supervise you.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly 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]
    • If you have sensitive skin, it may be a good idea to put on a pair of plastic gloves during this step.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make 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.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using Glue and Liquid Starch

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly 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.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using Cornstarch and Dish Soap

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    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]
    • 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. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly Putty
    It will be sticky and gooey. You may have some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl, which is normal.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make Silly 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.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Is this non-toxic?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    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?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    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?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    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]
  • Not all brands of liquid starch are created equal. Some work better than others. For example, Sta-Flo works better than Niagra.[8]
  • 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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Tips from our Readers

  • For kid-friendly alternatives to Borax, you can add Dawn dish soap to corn starch.
  • Always wash your hands before and after playing with your slime.
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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

Using Glue and Liquid Starch

* 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

Using Glue and Borax

  • 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

Using Glue and Laundry Detergent

  • 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

Using Cornstarch and Dish Soap

  • 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

Amy Guerrero
Reviewed by:
Arts & Crafts Specialist
This article was reviewed by Amy Guerrero and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Sunshine Craft Co. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. This article has been viewed 2,008,274 times.
14 votes - 75%
Co-authors: 262
Updated: June 24, 2024
Views: 2,008,274
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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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,008,274 times.

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