Looking for a Slime Recipe with Glue? Try These 4 Fun DIYs

Slime is not only fun to play with, but also fun to make. While the traditional recipe uses Borax, there are lots of other things that you can use as an activator, such as liquid starch or saline solution and baking soda. You could even make fluffy slime by adding shaving cream into it!

How to Make Goop or Slime with Glue

Pour ½ cup (120 mL) glue and ½ cup (120 mL) water into a bowl and mix.
Add in glitter or food coloring if desired, and stir until evenly distributed.
Stir in ¼ cup (54 mL) of liquid starch to thicken the slime.
Knead the slime in your hands until it firms up and reaches the right consistency.
When you’re done playing with your slime, store it in an airtight container.

Ingredients

Simple Starch Slime

¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of white or clear school glue
¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water
¹ ⁄ ₄ cup (59 mL) of liquid starch
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)

Basic Borax Slime

¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of white or clear school glue
¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water (for glue)
¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of warm water (for Borax)
1/4 teaspoon (2.2 g) of Borax
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)

Fluffy Foam Slime

3 to 4 cups (710 to 950 mL) shaving cream
¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of white or clear school glue
1/2 teaspoon (5.4 g) of baking soda
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of saline solution (with boric acid and sodium borate)
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)

Stretchy Saline Slime

¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of white or clear school glue
¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water
1/2 teaspoon (5.4 g) of baking soda
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of saline solution (with boric acid and sodium borate)
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making Simple Starch Slime

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1
Mix together ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of glue and ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water. Pour ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of white or clear school glue into a bowl, then stir in ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water. ^{[1]
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- For more interesting slime, try ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of glitter glue instead.
2
Add some glitter and food coloring, if desired. How much you use is completely up to you, but 10 to 15 drops of food coloring and 1 tablespoon (15 g) of glitter is a good place to start if you’re unsure. Be sure to stir these into the glue really well, so that everything is completely combined and the color is evenly distributed. ^{[2]
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- If you use colored glitter glue, you usually won't need to add food coloring. You can still add more glitter for some extra sparkle, though!
- If you don't have food coloring, use 10 to 15 drops of liquid watercolor instead.
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3
Stir in ¹ ⁄ ₄ cup (59 mL) of liquid starch. Pour the starch into the glue, then stir it in until everything is combined. The glue will start to thicken, but it won't be slimy just yet. ^{[3]
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- You can usually find liquid starch in the laundry aisle of a grocery store.
- This is the magical ingredient that turns glue into slime!
4
Knead the slime until it firms up, or set it aside for 3 minutes. Take the slime out of the bowl and knead it with your hands until it reaches the perfect slimy consistency. This can take up to 5 minutes, so be patient! Alternatively, you can also let the slime sit and firm up in its bowl for 3 minutes. ^{[4]
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- If kneading doesn’t work enough on its own, try both! Knead the slime for a couple of minutes, then let it rest and firm up for an additional 3 minutes.
5
Store the slime in an airtight container when you aren't playing with it. This step is very important! If you don't store your slime in a closed container, the slime will dry out. When it’s stored properly, your slime should last at least several weeks, but it could even last up to a few months. ^{[5]
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- A plastic tupperware container works super well, but make sure that it's clean first. A plastic, zippered bag will also work in a pinch!

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Mixing Basic Borax Slime

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1
Combine ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) water with ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of school glue. Pour the glue into a bowl first, then add the water. Stir them together with a spoon until the texture is even. You can use white school glue or clear school glue, whichever you prefer! ^{[6]
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- White school glue will give you a more opaque slime, while clear school glue will give you translucent slime.
- Glitter school glue is another great option if you want something fancy!
2
Add any desired food coloring and glitter, then stir the mixture again. Use up to 15 drops of food coloring and 1 tablespoon (15 g) of glitter, and don’t be afraid to be creative! You can use one or the other, or go all-out and use both. You can even combine different food coloring colors to create your own special blend. Just be sure to stir them into the glue super well, so everything gets fully combined.
- If you use white school glue, the mixture will usually end up pastel-colored.
- No food coloring? No problem. Try liquid watercolor instead! You can use up to 15 drops.
3
Stir 1/4 teaspoon (2.2 g) of Borax into ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of warm water. Pour ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of warm water into a cup (not the bowl with the glue in it). Add 1/4 teaspoon (2.2 g) of Borax , then stir the mixture together with a clean spoon. ^{[7]
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- You can get Borax in the laundry aisle of a grocery store.
- The water must be warm; otherwise, the Borax won't dissolve.
4
Mix the Borax solution into the glue until the glue clumps together. Pour the Borax into the bowl with the glue in it, then stir with a spoon. Keep stirring until the glue clumps together and stops sticking to the side of the bowl. ^{[8]
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- Don't worry if the slime looks too stringy at this point—it's not quite ready yet!
5
Take the slime out of the Borax water and knead it until it firms up. Take the glob of slime out of the bowl and start kneading it with your hands. Keep kneading until it reaches the right slimy consistency and is no longer stringy. This usually takes up to 5 minutes. ^{[9]
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- The Borax is what activates the slime, but the kneading is where the real magic happens!
- Keep in mind, the more you knead the slime, the firmer it will become. So if your slime is still too sticky or loose, try kneading it a bit more.
Any airtight, plastic tupperware container will do, but you can also use a plastic Ziploc baggie. Stored properly, the slime will last several weeks to several months. ^{[10]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Trying Fluffy Foam Slime

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1
Place 3 to 4 cups (710 to 950 mL) of shaving cream into a bowl. Measure out 3-4 cups of shaving cream , and put it into a large mixing bowl. If you’re having trouble transferring the shaving cream from the measuring cup to the bowl, try using a rubber spatula to scoop it out. ^{[11]
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- Measure the shaving cream out by volume, even if you are on the metric system. Use a 240-mL cup to do so.
- Make sure that you are using shaving cream and not shaving gel! This will affect the slime’s consistency.
- Keep in mind that it’s usually easier to add color to men’s shaving cream because it’s pure white. Women’s shaving cream can be harder to color because it often comes already tinted.
2
Add some food coloring, if desired. How much you add is up to you, but 10 to 15 drops will be plenty. Keep in mind that this slime will come out pastel-colored because the shaving cream base is white. ^{[12]
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- You don’t have to mix the food coloring in just yet. You’ll do that when you add the glue.
- If you want, you can also add glitter, but it won’t show up as well as it does in other types of slime. It’s completely up to you, though!
3
Fold in ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of glue. White school glue will work the best for this, but you can use clear school glue as well. Pour the glue into the shaving cream, then gently fold the mixture together with a rubber spatula until it’s completely combined. ^{[13]
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- If you added food coloring to your slime, make sure to mix everything together until the color is even.
This will help thicken the mixture, and it will also react with the saline solution that you’ll be adding in the next step, which turns the ingredients into the perfect slimy consistency. Just make sure that you’re using baking soda , not baking powder! ^{[14]
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5
Stir in 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of saline solution. Read the ingredient label on the back of the bottle to ensure that it contains both boric acid and sodium borate. If the saline solution doesn’t contain these two ingredients, the glue won’t turn into slime! ^{[15]
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- Don’t add more than 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of saline solution, even if the slime appears stringy. If you add more than this, the slime will end up being too firm.
6
Knead the slime with your hands until it’s no longer sticky. The slime will likely stick to your hands at first, but just keep kneading. The more you work with it, the less sticky it will become. This may take about 5 minutes, so try to be patient! ^{[16]
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- If the slime is sticking to your fingers too much, try dipping your fingers into some of the saline solution. This should help combat the stickiness.
Unfortunately, this type of slime lasts for less time than others. Shaving cream starts to lose its texture after just a couple of hours when exposed to air, and since this slime contains shaving cream, you should expect it to have a similar lifespan. If you keep it in a sealed container, however, you may get it to last a couple of days.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Creating Stretchy Saline Slime

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1
Combine ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of glue and ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water. Pour ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of white or clear school glue into a bowl. Add ¹ ⁄ ₂ cup (120 mL) of water, then stir the two together until the texture is consistent. ^{[17]
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- White school glue will give you pastel-colored slime, while clear school glue will give you bright, translucent slime.
- Try glitter school glue if you don’t want to use food coloring or extra glitter. It already comes colored and glittery, so you don't have to add those things later!
2
Add some glitter and/or food coloring, if desired, and stir it in. Add up to 10 drops of food coloring and up to 1 tablespoon (15 g) of glitter. Stir the mixture until the color is consistent and the glitter is evenly distributed. ^{[18]
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- If you don’t have food coloring, try liquid watercolor instead. Use between 10 to 15 drops for the most vibrant color.
3
Stir in 1/2 teaspoon (5.4 g) of baking soda to firm up the slime. Don’t stress too much about getting the exact amount. In fact, you could use 1/4 teaspoon (2.7 g) of baking soda for oozier slime, and up to 1 teaspoon (10.8 g) of baking soda for firmer slime. ^{[19]
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- As you’re adding baking soda, keep in mind that the slime will become even firmer when you knead it later!
- Make sure to use baking soda and not baking powder.
4
Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of saline solution. It’s very important that the saline solution contains both boric acid and sodium borate; otherwise, the glue won’t turn into slime. Once you’ve added the saline, stir the ingredients together quickly and vigorously, like you would if you were making whipped cream. ^{[20]
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- For a stickier, oozier slime, try 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) of saline solution instead.
- Avoid using more than 1 tbsp (15 mL) of saline solution, even if the slime feels too sticky. Too much saline solution can cause the slime to turn out too firm.
- If you don't have saline solution, you can also use 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of eye drops, instead! ^{[21]
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5
Knead the slime for several minutes to help remove the stickiness. The slime will be stringy and stick to your fingers at first, but the longer you knead it, the firmer it’ll become. This may take 5 or so minutes, so be prepared to use a little elbow grease! ^{[22]
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- If the slime sticks to your fingers too much, try pouring some saline solution onto them.
All slime will eventually dry out, but this type of slime tends to have a long shelf life. It should last at least a few weeks, but it may even stay fresh longer! ^{[23]
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Community Q&A

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Question

How can I make this with no Borax or corn starch?

Happy2Help

Community Answer

You could use glue and laundry detergent. Add glue to your bowl and mix it with a bit of water. Next, slowly add in your detergent. You will notice it starting to form.

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Can I make slime with just glue and baking soda?

Community Answer

No. You need borax and water, or contact solution to activate your slime. Otherwise it will just be glue and baking soda.

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How do I make slime without borax or cornstarch?

Happy2Help

Community Answer

You could use Tide and glue. Add glue to your bowl. Mix it with a bit of water and a drop of food coloring (optional). Next, add in a bit of Tide and mix. You should see it forming. Repeat until it is ready to use and play with.

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Tips

For more unique slime, add a dab of glow-in-the-dark paint.

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To make scented slime, add in a few drops of essential oil or candy flavoring oil.

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Glitter is not the only thing you can add to slime. Try other items, like Styrofoam, beads, or sequins if you’re feeling extra fancy.

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Warnings

Borax may cause skin irritations. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, or better yet, allow an adult to handle the step for you.

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