How To Revenge is back with another great prank recipe, and this one is a classic: how to make easy three ingredient slime right at home. Slime never really goes out of style — kids love it, it’s cheap to make, and it doubles as a hands-on chemistry lesson. Back when some of our team was in kindergarten, mixing up a batch of homemade slime was how we first learned about states of matter. Of course, we’ll also be putting it to a few more nefarious uses along the way.
Making slime at home is a genuinely fun activity to do with your kids. It’s relatively safe, it doesn’t make too much of a mess, and it’s a sneaky way to spark an interest in chemistry. Sure, you can buy slime off the shelf at any store or online shop — but what’s the fun in that? Making your own is budget-friendly, endlessly customizable, and only takes a few minutes with simple household ingredients.
Three Ingredient Slime: Ingredients
As promised, the base recipe is just three simple ingredients:
- Hot water
- Liquid school glue (a standard 4 oz bottle) — Liquid glue
- Powdered borax (the activator) — Powdered borax
A few extras make the process smoother: a mixing bowl, a spoon or spatula, and food coloring if you want to give your slime some personality. Glitter, tiny foam beads, or a drop of scented oil are all easy add-ins once you’ve nailed the base.
How To Make Slime, Step By Step
1. Pour the glue. Empty a standard 4 oz bottle of liquid glue into your mixing bowl. White glue makes an opaque, classic slime; clear glue makes a glassy, see-through version.
2. Add color first. If you want colored slime, add your food coloring now and stir it into the glue. Doing this before the activator is the key to even color — add it later and you’ll get streaks.
3. Make the borax solution. Dissolve about one teaspoon of powdered borax into 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir until it’s mostly dissolved.
4. Activate slowly. Add the borax solution to the glue a little at a time — start with about three teaspoons — stirring slowly to avoid bubbles. You’ll watch the mixture change from liquid to semi-solid almost instantly as the borax cross-links the glue’s polymers.
5. Stir until it pulls together. Keep mixing until the slime clumps up and no runny liquid is left in the bowl.
6. Knead it. Once it reaches that goopy, jelly-ish stage, pull it out and start kneading, wringing, and twisting with your hands. This is where the magic happens — the more you work it, the firmer and stretchier it gets.
7. Rest. Set the slime aside in a clean container for 3–4 minutes to let the consistency settle, then play away.
Tips To Make The Best Slime
- Glue first, color second. Always mix the food coloring into the glue before adding the borax activator, or your color will streak.
- Knead, knead, knead. Kneading is what dials in the texture. Put a few drops of water on your hands first to keep things from sticking.
- Keep it moist. Slime dries out if you let it. A little water while kneading keeps it stretchy and playful.
- Store it clean. An airtight plastic container keeps slime fresh for weeks. Keep both the slime and the container clean and it’ll last much longer.
Slime Variations
- Glitter slime: Mix a spoonful of glitter into the glue before activating for a sparkly galaxy look.
- Fluffy slime: Add a couple pumps of shaving cream to the glue for a light, cloud-like texture.
- Crunchy slime: Stir in tiny foam beads once the base is done for a satisfying crunch.
- Borax-free slime: There are several ways to make slime without borax — using contact lens solution and baking soda, for example — and we’ll cover those in a future article.
Prank Ideas (Use Responsibly)
A blob of homemade slime is a gift to the prankster. Tuck a bright green wad under a doorknob, drape it over a computer mouse, or leave a suspicious puddle on someone’s chair for a harmless jump-scare. Just remember: slime can stick to fabric and hair, so keep it to hard, wipeable surfaces. If you love the gross-out angle, pair it with our fake snot recipe or a batch of edible fake blood for the full mad-scientist effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is homemade slime safe for kids?
Slime is a great kid activity, but it is not edible — borax should never be eaten, and small children shouldn’t handle it unsupervised. Keep an eye on little ones, have everyone wash their hands after playing, and don’t let anyone with sensitive skin knead it for long. For younger kids, a borax-free recipe is the safer route.
Why is my slime too sticky or too runny?
Sticky, runny slime means it needs more activator. Add your borax solution a teaspoon at a time and keep kneading — it firms up fast, so go slow to avoid overshooting into stiff, rubbery slime.
How long does slime last and how do I store it?
Stored in an airtight plastic container, slime stays good for a few weeks. Keep it clean and slightly moist. If it dries out, work in a few drops of warm water to bring it back to life.
Making easy homemade slime is a blast for the whole family — just take care with the little ones, since slime isn’t a snack. Want more? Check out our other gross-out recipes: