Silly putty is a sticky, stretchy and bouncy material that people of all ages love. This material was discovered by accident during World War II, when a chemist was making a synthetic substitute for rubber, and has since become a favorite among children and adults alike! If you want to play with a silly putty, but don't have one, don't worry. You can make it yourself easily. Using glue and borax can make a silly putty like those sold in stores, but you can also use other ways to get a silly putty that is fun to play with.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Glue and Borax
Step 1. Pour a small bottle of clear glue into a bowl
Purchase a 120 ml bottle of clear glue. Open the lid, and pour all the contents into a bowl. Make sure you choose an all-purpose clear glue, not a washable glue. Glue that can be cleaned will not give good results.
- To make the silly putty more interesting, buy glue that has been mixed with glitter and dye.
- To get a silly putty that is not transparent, use white glue.
Step 2. Add color and glitter, if desired
Add a few drops of food coloring and a few spoonfuls of fine glitter. Stir all the ingredients until the color and glitter are evenly mixed.
If you are using a glue that already contains dye and glitter, skip this step
Step 3. Add 120 ml of water to the glue, and mix
Keep stirring all the ingredients until the water and glue are evenly mixed. Set the glue bowl aside when you're done.
Step 4. Mix borax and warm water
Pour 120 ml of warm water into a container, then add 1 tsp. borax. Stir the two ingredients until the borax is dissolved.
If you are a child, ask an adult to accompany you
Step 5. Mix the borax water with the glue water, and mix the two ingredients together
Keep stirring all the ingredients until the glue turns into a gel. You will have a lump of gel in the bowl, with a little water, dye, and glitter around it.
Step 6. Knead the silly putty
Take the lump of gel that is in the bowl. Use your fingers to knead and knead the gel for about 5-10 minutes. Don't worry if there's still glue and water in the bowl, as the borax will absorb the glue.
If you have sensitive skin, we recommend wearing plastic gloves while doing this process
Step 7. Play with a silly putty
You can stretch it, bounce it, or split it in half. When you're done playing, place the silly putty in a resealable plastic container, such as a plastic box or plastic clip bag. If you want to use it again, you may have to knead it again for another 5-10 minutes.
Method 2 of 3: Using Liquid Glue and Starch
Step 1. Pour a bottle of clear glue into a bowl
Purchase a 150 ml bottle of clear glue. Open the glue cap and pour all the contents into a bowl.
- To make the silly putty more interesting, choose glue that has been added with glitter.
- If you want a silly putty that isn't transparent, use white glue.
Step 2. Mix in a few drops of food coloring or watercolor
This can add color to the silly putty. Add a few drops of dye, and add more if you want a darker or darker color. Skip this step if you are using a glue that has added dye and glitter.
Step 3. Add glitter if desired
The amount of glitter to add is up to you. For best results, choose very fine glitter, not the harsh, crafting ones. Skip this step if you have added glitter to the glue.
For a metallic silly putty, use mica powder
Step 4. Stir all ingredients
Keep stirring everything until the dye and glitter are well combined. You can do this with a fork, spoon, or even an ice cream stick.
Step 5. Add the liquid starch little by little and stir
Pour a little liquid starch or liquid starch (an ingredient commonly used to remove wrinkles on clothes) and mix thoroughly. Continue adding the liquid starch and stirring the mixture until the glue and starch come together and form a gel.
- In total you should probably use about 120-180 ml of liquid starch.
- Don't overuse the starch, as this can harden the silly putty.
Step 6. Knead the silly putty
At some point, the silly putty will clump together and become more difficult to stir. If this happens, take the silly putty out of the bowl and knead it until it hardens. It doesn't matter if there's still some liquid left in the bowl.
Step 7. Play with a silly putty
Silly putty is similar to slime or Gak, but tougher. You can stretch and bounce it. When you're done playing, place the silly putty in a plastic clip bag. You can also put it in a plastic box that can be tightly closed.
Method 3 of 3: Using Cornstarch and Dish Soap
Step 1. Pour 120 ml of dish soap into a bowl
Silly putty will be the same color as the dish soap used. If you want a different color, add a few drops of food coloring to the clear dish soap.
Step 2. Add glitter if desired
The amount to use is up to you, maybe a few spoonfuls will suffice. Try to use very fine glitter, not large grains. This can make your silly putty look like a store-bought putty.
Step 3. Add 130 grams of cornstarch
Stir all ingredients with a spoon, and continue by hand. Initially, the mixture will be runny, but will turn to a gel as you continue to stir. Don't worry if there is still dish soap or cornstarch at the bottom of the bowl.
- If the weather is very dry, you may need to use more soap.
- If you don't have cornstarch, you can use cornstarch (not cornmeal / mashed corn).
Step 4. Knead the mixture until the silly putty is lumpy
The dough will be tough and sticky. There may still be some liquid remaining at the bottom of the bowl. This is normal.
Step 5. Play with silly putty
You can stretch it out, make it into a ball, or bounce it. When you're done playing, put the silly putty in a plastic clip bag. You can also store it in a plastic box that can be tightly closed.
Tips
- Not all brands of liquid starch are great for silly putty, and there are brands that are better than others. For example, Sta-Flo gives better results than the Niagra brand.
- All-purpose glue gives better results than cleanable glue.
- If the silly putty is runny, add more dry ingredients. Use more wet ingredients if you want a moist, runny silly putty.
- Use newspaper or an inexpensive plastic tablecloth to cover the work area.
- If the silly putty you made from dish soap starts to dry, add a little more dish soap to it.
- To make the silly putty look similar to the one sold in the store, try placing it in a plastic Easter egg.
- Some types of silly putty need to be kneaded and mixed more intensively than others.
- Almost any kind of silly putty will eventually dry out.
- To make your silly putty last longer, you can store it in the refrigerator.
- Store the silly putty in an airtight container. Unless you can keep them pliable and warm by holding them, silly putty should be kept in a plastic container. Place the container (or whatever you use) in the refrigerator so the silly putty will last longer.
Warning
- If you have sensitive skin, wear plastic gloves when handling borax and glue.
- Take care that the silly putty does not come into contact with fabric or clothing. If it sticks there, the silly putty can be difficult to remove.
- Keep the silly putty away from small children and pets as it can be dangerous if swallowed. Memorize the emergency services number in case a silly putty is swallowed.
- Food coloring can stain the surface of objects. So, put on old clothes and cover your desk. If a silly putty sticks to clothes, read How to Clean a Silly Putty that Sticks to Clothes to get rid of it.
- Borax can be dangerous if not diluted properly, and can cause burns if kept in contact for a long time.
