Learn how to make slime with borax using just a few simple ingredients! This easy borax slime recipe creates stretchy, satisfying slime that’s perfect for sensory play, STEM activities, classroom science, and hands-on chemistry fun.
Whether you are brand new to slime-making or troubleshooting slime problems, this guide will show you exactly how to make borax slime successfully every time.
💡 Explore all of our homemade slime recipes here and find the most popular slime recipes for kids.
Why Use Borax to Make Slime?
Borax slime is one of the original homemade slime recipes and still one of the best ways to make stretchy slime. Borax powder creates a strong slime activator that helps turn glue into a smooth, stretchy polymer.
You can easily adjust the slime texture depending on:
- the type of glue you use
- the amount of activator
- how long you knead the slime
💡 Borax slime is also an excellent way to explore chemistry concepts with kids.
Supplies to Make Borax Slime
- 1/4 tsp borax powder
- 1/2 cup white or clear school glue
- 1 cup warm water, divided
- Food coloring, glitter, or confetti (optional)
- 2 bowls
- Spoon
- Airtight container
💡 Borax powder is usually found in the laundry aisle.
How to Make Slime with Borax
STEP 1: Make the Borax Solution
Mix 1/4 tsp borax powder into 1/2 cup warm water.
Stir until dissolved.
STEP 2: Prepare the Glue Mixture
In a separate bowl, combine:
- 1/2 cup glue
- 1/2 cup warm water
Add food coloring or glitter if desired.
STEP 3: Combine the Mixtures
Slowly pour the borax solution into the glue mixture while stirring.
The slime will begin forming immediately.
STEP 4: Knead the Slime
Remove the slime from the bowl and knead with your hands until smooth and stretchy.
The slime may feel stringy at first, but kneading improves the texture.
💡 Slime stretches best when pulled slowly instead of quickly.
Helpful Slime Tips
- Store slime in an airtight container.
- Add activator slowly.
- Knead before adding extra borax solution.
- Clear glue creates stretchier slime.
- White glue creates thicker slime.
Borax vs Saline Solution vs Liquid Starch
There are several popular ways to activate slime.
Borax Powder
Creates stretchy, durable slime and works especially well for slime science activities.
Saline Solution
Easy to use and commonly used for fluffy slime recipes.
Liquid Starch
Creates soft slime with a slightly different texture.
👉 Learn more about slime activators here.
Explore Slime Science
Want to take slime-making further?
Grab our free Slime Science Starter Lab to explore polymers, slime activators, non-Newtonian fluids, and hands-on slime investigations.
Includes:
- STEM challenges
- Observation pages
- Slime science
- A 5-day slime chemistry lab
👉 Download the Free Starter Lab
Troubleshooting Borax Slime
Why is my slime too stiff?
Try using less borax solution. Start small and add activator gradually.
Why is my slime sticky?
Sticky slime usually needs more kneading or a tiny bit more activator.
What is the best borax-to-water ratio?
1/4 tsp borax to 1/2 cup warm water is a great starting point.
How long does borax slime last?
When stored in a sealed container, borax slime can last for several weeks.
Can you make slime with clear glue?
Yes! Clear glue creates stretchier and more transparent slime.
💡 Read more about how to make slime less sticky here.
The Science Behind Borax Slime
Slime is a polymer created when glue reacts with borate ions from borax powder.
When the borax solution mixes with the glue, the long polymer chains in the glue begin connecting together through a process called cross-linking. This changes the glue from a liquid into a stretchy slime.
Slime is also considered a non-Newtonian fluid because it behaves like both a liquid and a solid depending on how much force is applied.
Borax slime is a great hands-on way to explore:
- polymers
- viscosity
- elasticity
- states of matter
- non-Newtonian fluids
💡 Read more about slime science and polymer chemistry here.
More Borax Slime Ideas
Looking for More Homemade Slime Recipes?
Explore all our homemade slime recipes, including fluffy slime, butter slime, cloud slime, clear slime, glitter slime, and more.
👉 Browse the Homemade Slime Hub
Extend the Learning with Slime
Our printable Slime Activity Pack includes step-by-step recipes, observations pages, challenges, and science extensions — perfect for home or classroom use.
Will regular white liquid glue work as well?
worst tutorial. Try including measurements moron.
How long does the borax slime last? I want to make and give as a gift.
It can last up to a month. I store in a plastic disposable container.
I am sorry you were unable to read the article properly and missed the measurements. I would refrain from calling people morons as you are the only person who has not been able to use the recipe.
Terribly sorry you weren’t able to read the post correctly. Have a closer look and please don’t call people morons. You have been the only person unable to read it correctly.
Yes as long as it is Elmers washable. My 4th of July slime is with Elmers white glue and clear glue.
HEY GOOD SAYS, why don’t you open your eyes and SHUT your mouth before you make an idiotic comment. If you can’t appreciate the time and effort that goes into keeping up a website and giving people good ideas, then get lost and figure out how to make your own crafts!!!!!!!!!!!!! SMH RUDE IDIOT!!!
Hi I live in South Africa so I can’t get elmers glue… I used pritt project glue it didn’t work 🙁 what kind of glue shold I use. Is it a kids craft glue
Hmm wellElmers glue is definitely the best as I have had trouble with others too. This glue is called washable school glue so maybe you can find a bottle with that listed on it. I did try a gold slime with a generic bottle of gold sparkle glue and it worked ok. You really had to knead it and work at it though.
It turned out great, but I did find that it breaks apart and can be crumbly if you try to bounce or pull it apart… is that normal?
Yes we use regular glue and mix the borax in hot tap water. This works best!!
i tried with clear glue and white glue. the clear one came out too chunky (it falls apart and doesn’t stretch. the white glue one came out like intestines… (i added blue coloring from a highlighter to the white one)
It has to be pva glue
Yes
You want to make sure it is Elmers washable glue.
The clear glue can be a little thicker than the white glue for slime. Have you tried the liquid starch recipe?
It just needs to be PVA glue and preferably clear drying glue.
Yes ((:
Do you have an ideas why did my slime just last for 2-3days. It turns out runny..seems like glue has been separated from water.
What brand glue did you use? It may be due to climate conditions as well. How was it stored? I have not had my slime separate before!
Yes
That happened to me too!! I want to play with it and pull it apart but it breaks I” leaving it overnight in the fridge to see if it does anything.
Do i really need to use up all of the glue? Or can i just use a smaller bottle of glue? Will the effect be the same?
You can use a smaller amount as long as you adjust the amounts of the other ingredients accordingly. For my Easter slime I made smaller portions to give them different colors.
Where to buy elmers glue
Any school supply or big box store will have this glue. I also included links to Amazon to purchase glue there if you use Amazon.
It just needs to contain pva
What do you do if the slime is just like water and wont become actual slime?
Mine last for like 6 months with this recipe but it’s fun making others too Y’all crafts
My slime turned hard within mins
Awesome!
What do you mean by hard? Dbl check the measurements. I have never had too hard a slime. Did it get crumbly. You can also check out our liquid starch slime recipe. That’s one of our easiest.
how to you fix slime when it gets too sticky and breaks
how do you fix sticky slime
yes it will work you just have to make sure it is Elmers glue bbg
I have a question. .. has anyone ever had to replace their borax with a new box? My daughter was the slime queen, and then one day all of sudden the slime was not turning into slime anymore. After a lot of trial and error we discovered it was the borax. We only used about a third of the box and then it “went bad”. We bought a new box, and it worked again. Has this happen to anyone else?
Hi! I have not had that happen before. I have made it through a whole box using it for various experiments and had the same box for quite awhile. Glad that you were able to get back to it with a new box! I have had the opposite experience with a pack of elemers glue I had purchased. Each one refused to cooperate. I went and bought a new batch and it worked fine again. Though surprising that you were able to use some of the box.
Hi! Thanks for the great recipe. I’ve used it several times with my kids (4 & 5 yrs old), mixing in different objects or glitter for different seasons/holidays. So fun!
I think when people have trouble getting their Slime to be slimy, they’re making a mistake I made at first. They’re not fully mixing the glue & water in step 2. What I do now is put the glue & water into a container with a lid, & shake it vigorously. When I do that, no water comes out of solution in the final mix. If you end up with extra water separating out, and kind of hard Slime, you need to mix the glue & water more thoroughly.
Hope this helps someone. Thanks again for your great crafty science resource!
Oh yeah do u have to use 1 cup of hot, warm or cold water for the borax method? Because I can’t manage to make slime and I’m deverstated!!!
Hi! You can use warm water. I am sorry you having trouble. Borax slime is not my favorite recipe. Why not try our liquid starch slime recipe. This is the one we make for almost all our slime themes you see. https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/liquid-starch-slime-easy-sensory-play-recipe/
I used Pritt white glue and it does work (it does,however, need to be PVA glue) oh and I’m also from SA! I have used Pritt, Devil glue and numerous more different types so as long as it is PVA it should work. I did also want to ask if the Borax solution needs to be warm when mixing it in to make the slime? I have never tried with it cold because I am scared I will mess it up and waste glue. And why does my slime sometimes have a liquid layer on top of my slime? It doesn’t happen all the time but it does happen ! Thanks a million!
I would use warm water! I will make sure to go in and fix that. New photos will be coming soon. I am not accustomed to using any other type of glue, so the layer may be due to that or to humidity/temperature.
What are borax? Sorry im from malaysia.
Hi littlebins! You’re slime is a great recipe! But I have one question. How many days do I wait for the air
Bubbles to go away? Please answer ASAP!
Im confused about the 1/2 cup water added to the glue? Is it from the borax water we mixed up or plain water? That could be a lot of the reasons some of the slime others are trying isnt working
Can you double this recipe and it comes out the same?
You definitely can!
Well said!! My 7 year old made it just fine. Now who is the moron???
You need to make the glue/ water mixture first then you add the water/borax mixture.
Can take at least 3 days to completely remove air bubbles.
It’s a type of laundry detergent powder!
You can mix the borax and water again and dunk your slime into it to see if that takes away the stickiness!
Best and most simple recipe I’ve tried. White glue had a better texture than the clear for us. When you add the glue mixture to the borax mixture you will end up with a lot of excess water, just a reminder, move the flubber to a new bowl and discard the excess water… consistancy will improve in a few minutes with continued kneading.
Thank you! Yes it gets better with kneading doesn’t it!
Borax is bad for you
It’s a personal choice but we have resources showing the actual information behind borax that will help you make an informed decision.
That’s rude there are probably kids doing this
Hi….the boraxmis so the best
Hi
How much exactly in one cup of water. For example when you saying mix one teaspon of borax with cup of water… how big is the cap? We trying to prepre Borax solution…
Many thanks
Hi! It’s one cup of water to 1 tsp! We made three batches this morning. have fun.
I measured exactly and the slime came out crumbling. Can I fix it?
If you used clear glue, try adding a bit more water next time when you mix the water and glue. You can add a little bit of the borax mixture at a time to see how that goes as well. You can’t really fix what you have though. Good luck.
my granddaughter made slime with borax but she used one of my cooking bowls to make it. Do I now have to throw the bowl away or do I throw it away? Thanks for this website. I will remember the next time.
I simply run my bowls through the dishwasher with the other dishes. If you wash and set aside for only slime making or science experiments that’s an option too.
How is borax bad for you? Even in the slime recipes that use saline solution for contact lenses, that stuff has borax in it too.
You are absolutely true! Did you listen to Steve Spangler talk about borax powder? I think I put a link in there. Liquid starch and saline solutions all contain borate ions from the boron family just like borax powder. I am not a chemist, but I trust what I have heard so far. We don’t use much and dilute it thoroughly. I would say however if you are sensitive to laundry detergents and cleaners that borax slime might be harsher on your skin then say saline solution. Everyone can make their own choice since we have some great slime recipes to choose from!.
Read the recipe, double check the ingredients and try again. This should not fail unless you have the incorrect glue or are not following the steps.
Can i use dish soap to make slime? I’m already tried to make dish soap slime and I did it. This slime recipe is awesome also easy process.
How much slime does this recipe make? Going to do for a summer camp where each kid makes their own. Are these the measurements that would make individual batches?
HI! It really depends on how much you want each kid to have! I like this size for one kiddo but it can easily be halved. If you only want them to take a sample home, then it can be split up to 5 ways and put in small condiment containers!