Silly putty recipes are a dime a dozen nowadays. Frozen silly putty is all the rage on Pinterest, and we decided to make our own! We tried about 4 different recipes and came to the sad realization that it wasn’t as easy as it looked! We experimented (and wasted glue) until we stumbled upon the perfect recipe! Make sure to pin this! This silly putty has just the right amount of stretch, it feels wet but isn’t, it is malleable and soft and sure to occupy your little ones for hours! It’s a great party favor or halloween treat alternative! Don’t forget to pin this for later!
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How to Make Silly Putty Step 1: Gather your Ingredients.
The only 2 main ingredients you MUST have are liquid craft glue and borax. You can find borax in the laundry section of your grocery store for about $8 (I even found it up here in the middle of nowhere!). If you want Frozen silly putty, you will want to find some clear, glitter glue, however that is not necessary to make silly putty. I recommend purchasing Elmer’s glue, or some other reputable brand. I did make this with no-name and it worked well, however you have to play around with it a bit more as the consistency is not as smooth as Elmer’s, but essentially any liquid glue will work.
Step 1: gather your supplies
Other things to have on hand are food coloring and glitter. You will also need a kettle to boil up a bit of water (you don’t need much, but the hotter the better), a glass bowl for mixing and some measuring utensils. Ready?
How to Make Silly Putty Step 2: Start Mixing
The first thing you need to do is mix the glue and the water. If you are using fairly good quality, new glue this should mix together easily. You need equal parts of glue and water. The easiest way to do this is to just dump in your glue and use the same container full of water. Mix well until they are blended together with no lumps. If you are using cheap or older glue, you can stick it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to help it melt and bit so it is easier to mix. I also suggest using a fork or whisk if your glue is really thick. This step is the most important, it MUST be smooth to make a smooth putty.
How to Make Silly Putty Step 2
How to Make Silly Putty Step 3: Add Your “Extras.”
This is the point you want to add your food coloring and glitter if you are using it. To make the putty this bright color we used some of the teal, purple, and blue glitter as well as 3 drops of blue food coloring and 6 drops of red. It came out very bright and vibrant.
How to Make Silly Putty Step 3
How to Make Silly Putty Step 4: Add your borax and mix well.
Ok, I tried this 3 separate times with different recipes and all of them failed. This was the perfect ratio I found to make silly putty that didn’t break apart too easily, was soft but not sticky, wet feeling but not wet, stretchy, etc.
How to make silly putty step 4
Add 1 tbsp. of borax to a small (separate) bowl and mix well with 3 tbsp. of boiling water. Mix until dissolved. Add it in increments to your glue mixture. If you add it all at once, you’ll instantly make a ball in the middle and nothing else will stick to it. Drizzle it all around fairly quickly about 1/3 at a time. Then mix really well, you’ll start forming large lumps. Move those lumps to the side and drizzle another 1/3 of the borax water on the liquid portion of the glue, mix well and move the lumps to the side. You should have not too much liquid left. Repeat this process one more time and then mix well. Near the end once most the liquid was gone, I found it easiest to knead the mixture with my hands. It does wash off easily enough so it is worth it and helps make the putty a nice, smooth texture.
how to make silly putty step 4
How to Make Silly Putty with Opaque/White School Glue.
If you only have white school glue on hand, don’t fret! You can still make a great putty with it! Here are a few color variations I made using the exact same recipe as above! And here is the recipe put together if you want to write it down:
1 container of Elmer’s glue
1 Elmer’s glue container full of water
Food coloring/glitter
1 Tbsp. of Borax dissolved in 3 Tbsp. of boiling water
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- purple silly putty using white school glue
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- yellow silly putty using white school glue
What are you using your silly putty for?
Whether it is just to play with on a rainy day, to give away as birthday party favors, as an alternative to Halloween candy, etc. Silly putty is a fun, unique activity that kids of all ages enjoy! What did you use your silly putty recipe for?
