How to make therapy putty without borax

Playing with putty is a great way for children to develop hand and finger strength along with fine motor skills.

There are tons of brands and varieties of “Silly Putty” and “Play-Doh” you can buy in stores, but making your own from ingredients in your kitchen is much more fun and a great sensory

 experience for your child.

The smooth and sticky texture of the putty, as well as its ability to absorb heat makes it a great toy for sensory development. Save yourself a trip to the store and added expense by making it at home with your child.

Try out our DIY putty recipe! Another bonus of making your own putty is the ability to control ingredients. While we don’t recommend eating it, this recipe is entirely non-toxic and edible.

Putty Ingredients:

• 1 cup of flour
• ¼ cup of salt
• ½ cup of water
• Food coloring – a few drops

Directions for Making Your Own Putty:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Stir a few drops of food coloring into the water and stir until it’s well mixed. Make the water a bit darker than you want the putty to turn out because the whiteness of the flour dilutes the color.

3. Slowly drizzle the dyed water into the flour mixture while stirring.

4. Knead the ingredients with your hands until it forms a nice, smooth putty that feels like “Silly Putty”.

5. Let your child play with beads and other plastic pieces by pressing them into the putty. Make sure to store the putty in an airtight bag or container. It typically keeps fresh and usable for a couple weeks.

If you’re looking for something to have your kids do with putty, try this fun exercise routine for hands and fingers!

These exercises are appropriate for anyone old enough to play with putty, approximately 4 years and older.

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Silly putty is a gooey, stretchy, bouncy substance that’s fun for all ages. It was accidentally invented during World War II, when a chemist was trying to create a synthetic substitute for rubber, and it’s been delighting kids and adults ever since! If you want to play with silly putty but you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry, because it’s easy to make at home! The glue and borax method will produce putty most like the commercial product, but the other ways of making putty are fun to play with as well.

1. 

   1

   Squeeze a small bottle of clear school glue into a bowl. Purchase a 4-ounce (118-milliliter) bottle of clear school glue. Open up the cap, and squeeze everything into a bowl. Make sure that you use the basic, all-purpose kind of school glue and not the "washable" kind. The washable kind of school glue does not work as well.[1]

   • For more interesting silly putty, get the kind of glue that already has glitter and color mixed into it.
   • For opaque silly putty, use regular white school glue.

2. 2

   Add some color and glitter, if desired. Squeeze in a few drops of food coloring. Next, add in a few spoonfuls of extra-fine glitter. Stir everything together until the color is even and the glitter is spread evenly throughout.

   • Skip this step if your glue already has color and glitter in it.

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3. 3

   Stir ½ cup (120 milliliters) of water into the glue. Keep stirring until the glue and water are completely mixed together. Set the bowl aside when you are done.

4. 

   4

   Mix some borax with warm water. Pour ½ cup (120 milliliters) of warm water into a cup. Add 1 teaspoon of borax. Stir the two together until the borax has dissolved.[2]

   • If you are a child, have an adult supervise you.

5. 5

   Stir the borax water into the glue water. Keep stirring the two together again until the glue starts to turn into gel. You will have a clump of gel in your bowl, with some water, glitter, and color around it.[3]

6. 6

   Knead the putty. Pick up the glob of gel from the bowl. Knead and squish it with your fingers for about 5 to 10 minutes. There may still be some water and glue in the bowl, which is fine. The borax will have picked up as much glue as it could have.[4]

   • If you have sensitive skin, it may be a good idea to put on a pair of plastic gloves during this step.

7. 7

   Play with the silly putty. You can stretch it, bounce it, and pull it apart. When you are done playing with it, put it into a plastic, resalable container, such as a lidded box or a zippered bag. When you take it out again, you may need to knead it again for another 5 to 10 minutes.

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1. 

   1

   Pour 1 bottle of clear school glue into a bowl. Purchase a 5-ounce (147-milliliter) bottle of clear school glue. Unscrew the cap and pour the glue into a mixing bowl.

   • For interesting silly putty, use the type of school glue that already has glitter in it.
   • For opaque silly putty, use white school glue instead.

2. 2

   Add a few drops of liquid watercolor or food coloring. This will give your silly putty extra color. Stir in a few drops, then add more if you want a deeper or darker color. If your glue already has color and glitter in it, skip this step.

3. 

   3

   Add in some glitter, if desired. How much glitter you add is entirely up to you. For best results, use the extra-fine scrapbooking glitter, and not the chunky craft kind. If your glue already has glitter in it, skip this step.

   • For metallic putty, try mica powder instead.

4. 4

   Stir everything together. Keep stirring until the color is even and the glitter is spread throughout the glue. You can do this step with a spoon, fork, or even a popsicle stick.

5. 5

   Stir in some liquid starch a little bit at a time. Pour in a small amount of liquid starch, then give the mixture a stir. Keep adding starch and stirring until the glue and starch comes together and forms a putty.

   • Plan on using ½ to ¾ cup (120 to 180 milliliters) total.
   • Avoid using too much starch, or the silly putty will turn hard.

6. 6

   Knead the putty together. At one point, the putty will clump together and become difficult to stir. Once that happens, take the lump of putty out of the bowl and knead it until it turns firm. There may be some liquid left in the bowl, which is fine.

7. 7

   Play with the putty. Silly putty is similar to slime or Gak, except that it is more firm. You can stretch it and bounce it. When you are done playing with it, put it into a plastic, zippered bag. You can also use a plastic box with a tight-fitting lid.

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1. 

   1

   Pour ½ cup (120 milliliters) of dish soap into a bowl. Your silly putty will turn the same color as the dish soap that you are using. If you want a certain color, stir in a few drops of food coloring into clear dish soap.[5]

2. 

   2

   Add some glitter, if desired. How much glitter you use is up to you. A few spoonfuls should do. Try to use the extra-fine glitter rather than the chunky kind. It will make your putty look more like the store-bought kind!

3. 3

   Mix in 1 cup (125 grams) of cornstarch. Stir everything together with a spoon, then switch to using your hands. At first, you will get a crumbly mixture, but then it will turn into a gel the more you work with it. Don't worry if there is some corn starch or dish soap at the bottom of the bowl.[6]

   • If it is very dry in your home, you may need to add more dish soap.
   • If you can't find cornstarch, look for cornflour (not cornmeal).

4. 4

   Knead the mixture until the silly putty comes together. It will be sticky and gooey. You may have some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl, which is normal.

5. 5

   Play with the putty. You can stretch it, ball it up, and bounce it. When you don't want to play with it any more, put it into a plastic, zippered baggie. You can also use a plastic box with a lid instead.

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Add New Question

• Question

  Is this non-toxic?

  

  No, it is toxic. There are alternate methods without any of the harmful ingredients, such as detergent and borax.

• Question

  Can I use baking soda instead of borax?

  

  Yes, you can use it to make silly putty. But you need to use a different method to use baking soda as an ingredient.

• Question

  Can I use any kind of glue in the baby powder slime?

  

  It is suggested to use the normal white glue, instead of the clear glue. It will have better consistency.

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• All-purpose school glue seems to work better than the washable kind.[7]

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Not all brands of liquid starch are created equal. Some work better than others. For example, Sta-Flo works better than Niagra.[8]

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• If the putty is watery, add more of the dry ingredients. Add more wet ingredients if you want your putty to be wetter and slimier.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

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• If you have sensitive skin, wear plastic gloves when making the borax and glue putty.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Keep the putty away from cloth and fabric surfaces. It can get stuck and become difficult to remove.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Keep the putty away from younger children and pets. It can be dangerous if swallowed. Keep the number for your local poison control center handy in case of ingestion.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Food coloring can stain, so be sure to wear old clothes and to cover your counter. If you get silly putty on your clothes, see How to Get Silly Putty Out of Clothes for advice on getting it off.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

• Borax can be dangerous if not properly diluted, and extended contact can lead to burns.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

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Things You'll Need

* 1 5-ounce (147-milliliter) bottle of clear school glue

• ½ to ¾ cup (120 to 180 milliliters) liquid starch
• Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
• Extra-fine glitter (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
• Plastic zippered baggie

• 1 4-ounce (118-milliliter) bottle of school glue
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) water
• 1 teaspoon borax
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) warm water
• Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
• Extra-fine glitter (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
• Plastic zippered baggie

• 8 ounces (240 milliliters) school glue
• ¼ cup (60 milliliters) laundry detergent
• Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
• Extra-fine glitter (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
• Plastic zippered baggie

• 1 cup (125 grams) of cornstarch
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) dish soap
• Liquid watercolor or food coloring (optional)
• Extra-fine glitter (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon, fork, or popsicle stick
• Plastic zippered baggie

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To make silly putty, pour 8 oz (240ml) of all-purpose school glue into a bowl. If you like, add a few drops of food coloring or glitter to the glue. Then add 1/4 cup (60ml) of liquid laundry detergent to the bowl. Keep stirring until the glue starts to ball up and harden. Then, knead the mixture with your hands until it turns into putty.

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