Slime may be a hobby for others, but for our family, it’s a passion. We’ve tried over 100 slime recipes, and we’ve tried just about every variation there is, from classic borax slime to baking soda slime. Along the way, we’ve found the tricks and tips that will work to make sure your slime comes out right every time you make it. I’ve made a free printable slime troubleshooting guide for you so that you’ll never have a slime fail again!

Follow along with these tips and tricks and don’t forget to download your slime troubleshooting guide that also contains our favorite slime recipe to take with you the next time you want to make slime.

We use our slime for sensory play, science projects, STEM activities, as a learning tool, and it also makes fun party favors and inexpensive gifts!

SLIME TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE: MAKE PERFECT SLIME EVERY TIME!

Does your slime always flop? Use this slime troubleshooting guide to help you make the perfect slime recipe every time and become a slime expert!

So, you want to make slime. So you get some glue, and you get some borax or laundry starch, you mix it up, and bam!

A gloppy mess.

What’s a person to do?

Follow along with this handy slime troubleshooting guide and you’ll never have a slime fail again.

WHY SLIME?

Slime has fascinated individuals for an entire generation. Today’s slime is a bit less messy than the old slime you would see on TV, but there hasn’t been a year since 1990 that slime hasn’t been popular with the kiddos. We make slime regularly as a sensory experience for our kiddos, and also as a science lesson. Slime is a great example of polymer bonds, and almost acts as a non-Newtonian fluid with some recipes. We like to use slime to test the scientific process, to learn about chemical bonds, and to have fun with something squishy.

WHY SLIME FAILS

Slime can be a tricky beast before you get the hang of it. But slime usually fails for one of three reasons:

You used the wrong ingredients. We have the best luck with Elmer’s glue and Sta-flo laundry starch.
You didn’t follow the recipe. Ratios are incredibly important for slime. We usually use a 1-1-1 ratio with water, starch, and glue.
Your ingredients failed. Sometimes, a batch of glue or starch won’t be mixed right, and that can cause slime to fail.

FIXING COMMON SLIME ISSUES

Too Runny

You probably used the wrong kind of glue or didn’t put in enough starch or borax. Add more and keep mixing.

Too Goopy

You may have put in too much starch or borax. You might be able to fix this by adding more glue or water, but this is the hardest problem to fix, and you might have to throw the slime out.

Too Stringy

You may not have kneaded the slime enough. I’ve found that letting it rest for about 2 minutes then kneading again helps fix any stringy problems.

HOW TO MAKE SLIME THE EASY WAY

We’ve made slime so many times, we’re slime experts, but you can be as well when you follow along with our handy guides. You’ll find tons of slime recipes and guides to follow to supply you with enough slime projects to last through this year and as long as you want!

Make sure to follow the tips and tricks in this guide to ensure your slime comes out right. You don’t want to waste ingredients! Nothing is worse than realizing you mixed a recipe wrong or forgot an important ingredient. Always read your list and check it twice just like Santa would.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to get your slime troubleshooting guide and to learn more about making slime properly. Soon, you’ll be a slime expert!

SLIME RECIPES TO TRY

MAGNESIUM SLIME

Click on the links above to get a recipe for each slime pictured. Making slime is easy and fun when you use one of our numerous homemade slime recipes.

MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT: The Ultimate List of Slime Recipes!

SUPPLIES

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Elmer’s clear PVA glue
Water
Liquid laundry starch
Bowl, fork, and measuring cup
Food coloring

Elmer’s Liquid School Glue, Premium Clear, Washable, 1 Gallon, 1 Count – Great For Making Slime Elmer’s Liquid School Glue, Washable, 1 Gallon, 1 Count – Great For Making Slime Purex Sta-Flo Liquid Starch, 64 Ounce Barbasol Original Thick and Rich Shaving Cream for Men, 10 Ounce, Pack of 6 Food Coloring Liqua-Gel – 12 Color Variety Kit in .75 fl. oz. (20ml) Bottles

RECIPE: Liquid Laundry Starch Slime

Here are a few photos of the types of slime you can make!

Make Santa come to life in a whole new way with this fun recipe for Santa suit slime! Christmas slime has never been so fun!

Kids will love this Santa suit slime.

Mix science and Halloween when you make skull slime and turn it into a Halloween STEM activity! Kids of all ages will love this creepy science experiment.

Skull and crossbones slime is perfect for Halloween!

Slime is fun! Learn how to make tie dye slime in this fun variation on the classic liquid starch slime recipe. The perfect summer activity for kids!

Try tie-dye slime any time of year!

If you're a slime lover, you'll love this fun slime recipe that looks just like real ice cream! This fun ice cream slime is a super fun ice cream activity!

Fluffy ice cream slime is so fun!

Turn your slime into a pirate’s treasure!

Make slime look like a mermaid’s tail.

This chick Easter slime is adorable and oh-so-perfect for Easter! Add it to an Easter basket or play with it just for fun!

This chick slime would make an adorable gift!

Watch us make fluffy slime here.

Watch us make magnesium slime here.

THE ULTIMATE SLIME TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

LEARN ALL ABOUT SLIME MAKING HERE

Here are the slime resources I mentioned above, click on the photos or links below to learn more!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE SLIME TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE