Back by popular demand, here is my slime recipe with a twist! If you are looking for how to make glitter slime, this slime recipe is one that is tried and true!
I decided to share my glitter slime recipe for everyone who has loved my perfect slime recipe — the one that I recommend if you’ve had a slime fail! Or if you need to make slime right the first time.
If slime has ever gone wrong for you, you will love this recipe because I developed it after hearing about my friends who were having slime fails! Slime can be so tricky! I have figured the main reason that borax slimes go all wrong.
You might find it helpful to read my post about the most common mistakes people make when making slime. This way you can avoid the most frequent mistakes people make that slime goes wrong.
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If you are not sure about the safety of slime made out of borax, I recommend reading this article about Whether Slime Brings Serious Health Risks.
How to Make Slime
Most of the time that slimes fail is due to the amount of borax. Many recipes call for 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp. While that sounds like a small amount, you don’t even need that much! My perfect glitter slime is made with ½ tsp to ¾ tsp of borax.
The other big reason that slimes fail is because the ingredients need to be broken down a bit before they are mixed together. One time I skipped putting water into my glue, and my slime turned out so hard. It was awful!
I recommend following my instructions for glitter slime very closely, especially if this is your first time or if you have had slimes go wrong in the past. Something that may seem to quicken up the slime process could give you a super rubbery or sticky slime, which is no fun!
Borax Glitter Slime Recipe
This is enough slime for about 2-4 children at a time. It takes about 15 minutes to make one batch.
If any slime gets on clothes or hair, use vinegar to dissolve it!
If your slime goes wrong and doesn’t work, read the bottom of my post about how to make perfect slime which explains how to fix slime that is too hard or too stretchy.
Materials:
- 2 Bottles of Elmer’s glue (5-6 oz. each) — Clear or Glitter Glue
- ½ – 1 tsp of Borax
- 1 cup hot water, ½ cup water
- Big, wide bowl
- Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
- Glitter
- Vinegar
- Gloves
I recommend using two bottles because you want to get a perfect consistency of slime, and the second bottle is a backup. Make them one at a time though so that you can adapt the second one if necessary. Getting the perfect consistency the first time doesn’t always go so smoothly, so I like having the second bottle to make my slime completely perfect!
My favorite slime is made of clear glue or glitter glue (both Elmer’s). You are able to see through the clear glue or glitter glue, but white glue looks more like the substance many of us remember as silly putty.
Borax is available online, but it is much more affordable in the grocery stores. You will find it where cleaning detergents are located.
Bowl 1 – Water and Borax Mixture
Find a nice sized bowl. You will need to squish the slime in it, so make sure it is big and wide enough.
Mix one cup of hot water in the bowl with ½ tsp of borax. Dissolve completely.
You will want to hold onto this mixture, even after your slime is made! If you find that your slime is too stretchy or turns sticky after a few minutes of playing, you’ll be glad you didn’t dump this out!
Allow the borax and water to cool as you prep you the next step.
Bowl 2 – Glue and Water Mixture
Mix one container of Elmer’s glue (5-6 oz) with ½ cup of water. You won’t want to skip this step. The glue needs to be watered down and separated to prevent a slime fail. I find that a container with a pour spout is perfect for this.
Use a whisk to stir them together. You want it to be completely mixed, so this may take a few minutes.
Add a squirt of liquid watercolor or a few drops of food coloring. This is also when you want to stir in any glitter. Fine glitter will show up really small and make your slime glisten. Big glitter will add a pop of color and fun.
If you use Elmer’s glitter glue, which is already colored, you don’t have to use coloring. But you can add extra if you want more.
Combine the two!
Now, it’s time to pour your glue mixture into the big bowl with the borax and water mixture.
Watch for a minute as the glue mixture starts to polymerize! It’s such a cool sight to see.
Then, start squishing the slime to help it absorb as much of the borax and water mixture as possible. Feel free to wear gloves or to stir with a spoon if you would prefer. I recommend that the adult does this part.
The slime will feel quite sticky or chunky for a minute or two but keep squishing, kneading, stirring, or mixing. Do this for two to three minutes.
Once it isn’t feeling sticky or chunky, pull it out and knead it some more.
Hopefully, you will have an amazing slime that is perfect to stretch, bend, and mold. If you have any trouble along the way, read the bottom of my post about how to fix slime.
Related post: A YEAR of amazing slime recipes and ideas
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Hi!! Thanks so much for fantastic content!! Love it. Quick question about the slime making process, would it be a good idea to use an electric mixer to mix and then later knead the slime?
Thank you for this great recipe. I work for a library and we have children’s events. We plan to use your recipe for a Día de los Niños festival activity. I just experimented and made it clear, purple, and another small 1/4 batch of green mixed in a ziploc bag. That’s how we’re going to do it. We’ll put 2 TBSP clear glue and just under 2 TBSP water in the bag, add glitter and color, seal and mix. Reopen and add 2oz of premixed borax solution, press out the air and reseal. Then the kids can mix away a single portion with their own precise color, and very little mess! Plus it’s in a ziploc bag to take home already. 🙂
Oh, I love this!! I bet they will have a complete blast. I’ve always wondered if it would work in a baggie, so thank you so much for sharing :).