Ideas
12 Ways to Customize Slime: Glitter, Paint, Charms
Food coloring, paint, glitter, beads, scents, glow powder, charms: 12 ways to customize your slime, when to add each one and the precautions to take.
Plain slime is great. Glittery slime, swirled in three colors, that crunches and smells like strawberries? Even better. Here are 12 ideas for customizing your slime, the right way to add each one, and the precautions that go with them.
The golden rule: add things at the right time
Almost every add-in goes into the liquid glue, before the activator. Once the slime has set, glitter and beads stay on the surface and fall off. The only exceptions are the clay in butter slime, the instant snow in cloud slime and decorative charms, which all go in at the end.
Colors
1. Food coloring
One or two drops in the glue give you a pastel shade; more gives a bright color, but it can stain hands. In clear slime, a single drop keeps it see-through.
2. Acrylic or washable tempera paint
A small dab of paint in white glue gives bold, opaque colors you just can’t get with food coloring. Little Bins for Little Hands even publishes a paint slime recipe. Go for a washable paint made for kids.
3. Ombré
Make three small balls of the same color, from lightest to darkest (one, two, then three drops), and set them side by side in the jar.
4. Swirled colors
Two or three ropes of different colors, stretched together and twisted just two or three times. Any more and everything blends together. That’s the trick behind unicorn slime.
Things that sparkle
5. Glitter
Fine glitter for a shimmery look, chunky or holographic glitter for a disco effect. Plan on 1 to 2 tablespoons per batch. The full method: glitter slime.
6. Confetti and sequins
Stars, hearts, moons: they show up beautifully in clear slime. Add them to the liquid glue.
7. Glow-in-the-dark powder
For slime that glows in the dark: ½ tablespoon, measured by an adult.
8. Thermochromic pigment
The slime changes color when warm hands touch it. ½ teaspoon is enough.
Things that add sound and texture
9. Fishbowl beads and other beads
For a crunchy slime that crackles under your fingers: ¼ to ⅓ cup (60 to 80 ml) per batch. These are small parts, so keep them away from kids under 3.
10. Sand
A few spoonfuls of fine, dry sand make a surprisingly gritty sand slime.
Things that smell nice
11. Scent
One tablespoon of flavored gelatin dessert powder makes a strawberry or lemon scented slime. No essential oils: they’re not suitable for kids and can irritate the skin.
The finishing touch
12. Charms
Little decorations set on top of the slime (fruit, candy, plastic animals) are a big part of the appeal of slime-shop jars. Place them on top of the jar for the photo, then take them off before playing: they’re small parts.
Three combos that work
- Galaxy: clear slime, purple and midnight blue swirled together, silver glitter and a little glow powder.
- Strawberry ice cream: pale pink butter slime, strawberry scent and ice-cream-cone charms.
- Ocean: blue clear slime, white fishbowl beads and star confetti.
For thousands more combinations, pick an idea at random with the Slime Idea Generator, or take on the Daily Slime Challenge.
Precautions
- Glitter, powders and pigments: measured by an adult, kept away from eyes and mouths.
- Small parts (beads, charms, fishbowl beads): never for kids under 3, and stored out of reach.
- Work over a tray: glitter flies everywhere.