How to Make Cornflour Slime

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 17, 2024 Tested

Making slime with cornflour (also known as cornstarch) is a fun way to pass an afternoon or to help relieve stress after a long day. To transform the cornflour into slime, you only need a few household items. Mix cornflour and water for a basic slime concoction, or have fun experimenting with other household items like liquid dish soap or shampoo to alter the texture of your slime. Then, personalize the slime by adding food coloring, glitter, or styrofoam beads. To get started, grab a large mixing bowl and some cornflour.

Ingredients

Basic Slime

1 ¹⁄₂ cups (350 mL) of water
2 cups (250 g) of cornflour

Stretchy Slime

6 US tbsp (89 mL) of liquid dish soap liquid dish soap, body wash, or shampoo
1/2 cup (62.5 g) of cornflour

Butter Slime

¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of washable, liquid glue
1 cup (125 g) of cornflour
1 cup (240 mL) of shampoo
1 US tbsp (15 mL) of lotion or massage oil
1–3 tsp (4.9–14.8 mL) of laundry detergent
2 drops of yellow food coloring

Edible Slime

14 fl oz (410 mL) of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp (9.38 g) of cornflour

Personalized Slime

Glitter in assorted colors and textures (optional)
Food coloring in assorted colors (optional)
Styrofoam beads (optional)
Glow-in-the-dark craft paint (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Making a Basic Slime

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1
Put 2 cups (250 g) of cornflour and 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (350 mL) of water into a bowl. Pour the cornflour into the large mixing bowl first. Since cornflour has a very lightweight, powdery consistency, make sure not to dump it into the bowl. Otherwise, it may poof up in your face and make a mess of your workstation. Then, slowly pour the water on top of the cornflour.^{[1]
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- This slime is perfect for someone who has sensitive skin.
2
Mix the cornflour and water together until both ingredients are fully blended. Use a spoon to slowly stir the 2 ingredients. Press the back of the spoon against the side of the bowl to help break up any lumps of cornflour that form. Continue mixing until the ingredients are blended to form the slime. When finished, the slime should settle on the bottom of the bowl and have a slightly tacky texture.^{[2]
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- If your slime seems dry, add more water in 1 tsp (4.9 mL) increments until the slime becomes moist.
- If your slime is too runny or sticky, add more cornflour in 1 tsp (3.13 g) increments until the slime reaches a consistency you are satisfied with.
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3
Finish mixing the slime with your hands to give it a smooth texture. Either keep the slime in the mixing bowl or place the slime onto a flat surface lined with parchment paper. Then, use your hands to knead the slime until it feels smooth between your fingers.^{[3]
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- If you do not want your hands to get dirty while kneading the slime, slip on a pair of disposable gloves.
4
Place your slime inside a lidded container to keep it from drying out. Make sure to store your slime properly when you are finished playing with it. Otherwise, it will dry out and become ruined.^{[4]
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- Your slime will eventually become dirty from playing with it. Once this happens, simply discard it in a trash bin.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Creating Stretchy Slime with Liquid Soap

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1
Put your cornflour and liquid dish soap into a large mixing bowl. Start by pouring 1/2 cup (62.5 g) of cornflour into a large mixing bowl. Cornflour has a powdery consistency, so pour it gently into the bowl to keep it from poofing up into your face. Then, add in 4 US tbsp (59 mL) of liquid dish soap.^{[6]
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- Instead of dish soap, you can also use equal amounts of body wash or shampoo.^{[7]
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- Substitute the liquid dish soap with an equal amount of washable, liquid glue to make the slime more slippery rather than stretchy.^{[8]
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- If you pick a liquid agent that has a pleasant smell, it will make your slime have that fragrance.
2
Mix the cornflour and liquid dish soap until the ingredients are blended. Use a spoon to stir the 2 ingredients together. Press out any lumps of cornflour against the side of the bowl with the back of the spoon. Continue to stir until a wad of slime forms at the bottom of the bowl.^{[9]
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- To make the slime more stretchy, add in more liquid dish soap in 1 tsp (4.9 mL) increments until you reach a desired consistency.
- Make the slime denser by adding in more cornflour in 1 tsp (3.13 g) increments until you are happy with the texture.
To keep your slime from drying out, place it in a storage container with a lid. Avoid setting the container in direct sunlight to keep the slime ingredients from separating.^{[10]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using Laundry Detergent to Make Butter Slime

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1
Combine 1 cup (125 g) of cornflour and 1 cup (240 mL) of shampoo in a bowl. Pour the cornflour into the bowl first, and then add the shampoo on top. Use a spoon to gently mix the 2 ingredients together until they are fully blended. Use the back of the spoon to press any lumps of cornflour against the side of the bow to break them up.^{[11]
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- When fully blended, the ingredients will have a doughy texture.
2
Stir in ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of liquid glue and 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of lotion. Use your spoon to slowly mix the washable, liquid glue and lotion with the cornflour and shampoo mixture. These liquids will make your dough soupy, but don’t worry, as this is part of the process. Continue to blend the ingredients until your mixture becomes smooth.^{[12]
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- Use any kind of lotion to make the butter slime. Alternatively, substitute the lotion with an equal amount of massage oil to create the same effect.
3
Add 2 drops of yellow food coloring to give your slime a classic butter color. Stir in the yellow food coloring with your spoon. When blended completely, your mixture will have transformed from white to a pale yellow color.^{[13]
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- Don’t feel like you have to color your butter slime yellow. Instead, use 2 drops of your favorite color of food coloring.
4
Activate the mixture by pouring in 1 tsp (4.9 mL) of laundry detergent. Stir in the laundry detergent until it is fully blended. The laundry detergent will activate your mixture and transform it into slime. Once blended, the slime will pull away from the sides of the bowl as you stir it.^{[14]
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- Add another 1–2 tsp (4.9–9.9 mL) of laundry detergent if needed to thicken the slime. Stir in a few drops at a time to avoid making your slime too hard.
- If the slime is too tacky or sticky, add more cornflour in 1 tsp (3.13 g) increments until your slime gains a doughy texture.
5
Give the slime its buttery texture by pulling and pressing it with your hands. Take the doughy slime out of the bowl and hold it in one hand. Use your other hand to pull it and stretch it like taffy. Bring the mixture back together into a single clump, and repeat the process as needed until the dough feels smooth, thick, and moldable. Then, enjoy playing with your butter slime!^{[15]
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- Store your butter slime in a sealable container to keep it from drying out when you are not playing with it.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Making Edible Slime

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1
Pour 14 fl oz (410 mL) of sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan. Open the pop tab on a can of sweetened condensed milk, and pour it into your saucepan. This will give your edible slime a gelatinous and silky texture.^{[16]
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- If you do not have a small saucepan, you can also use a small pot.
Use a heat-resistant spoon to blend the cornflour with the sweetened condensed milk. Gently stir the mixture until there are no lumps of cornflour and it has dissolved.^{[17]
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Cook the mixture over a low heat for 10-15 minutes to thicken it. Use your heat-resistant spoon to continuously stir the mixture while it is cooking. The mixture can burn very easily on the bottom of the saucepan as it thickens, so make sure to thoroughly rotate the mixture.^{[18]
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- Once cooked, the cornflour and milk will resemble a thick, stretchy slime.
4
Allow the slime to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove your saucepan from the heat of your stove top, and allow the slime to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before playing with it. Alternatively, transfer the slime into a heat-resistant container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool. Once cooled, enjoy playing with your simple, edible slime!^{[19]
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- Keep the edible slime in the refrigerator in a sealed container for about 5 days. After 5 days, the slime will become hard and may begin to spoil.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Making Personalized Slime

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1
Add 3-4 drops of food coloring when mixing your slime to color it. Pick your favorite color of food coloring and squeeze 3-4 drops into the liquid component for the slime recipe you chose. Use a spoon to mix in the food coloring before adding the liquid to the cornflour. As you mix the wet and dry ingredients, add more drops of food coloring to make the color of the slime more vibrant if desired.^{[20]
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- Don’t worry if you have already finished kneading your slime. You can still add food coloring to it. Simply slip on a pair of disposable gloves to keep your hands from being stained. Then, in a bowl, squeeze 3-4 drops of food coloring into the center of your slime. Knead the food coloring into the slime until it is evenly distributed.
2
Sprinkle 1-2 tsp (7-14 g) of glitter on your slime to make it sparkle. Choose glitter that is your favorite color or your favorite combination of colors. Mix approximately 1-2 tsp (7-14 g) of the glitter with the cornflour amount for the slime recipe you chose. Add more glitter if desired. Continue stirring until the glitter is fully blended, and then add your liquid components.^{[21]
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- Fine glitter will blend into the slime better, but feel free to use a chunkier glitter or even sequins to make your slime more textured.
- If you already kneaded your slime and want to add glitter to it, simply form a well in the center of your slime, add the glitter, and then knead the glitter into the slime until it is fully blended.
- If you add glitter to edible slime, know that the decorative glitter is not edible and will, therefore, make your slime not edible.
3
Make your slime crackle by adding styrofoam beads to it. Use your fist to make a well in the center of the slime. Fill the well with 1-2 handfuls of styrofoam beads. Gently, knead the beads into the slim until they are dispersed throughout the slime. Enjoy squeezing and stretching the textured slime!^{[22]
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- This method works best with slime that is more on the sticky side, as the tackiness of the slime will grip the styrofoam beads. For example, the stretchy slime or the basic slime recipes would work well for the this.
- Feel free to add more styrofoam beads to your slime to make it even more textured and crackly.
- You can purchase styrofoam beads at a local craft store or online with major retailers.
- Refrain from adding styrofoam beads to edible slime, as they will make the slime no longer safe to consume.
4
Give your slime an eerie glow by mixing in glow-in-the-dark craft paint. Add 1–2 US tbsp (15–30 mL) of glow-in-the-dark craft paint to the liquid component for the slime recipe you chose. Stir the paint in with the liquid component until both ingredients are fully blended. Once mixed with the cornstarch, charge your slime in the sunlight for approximately 1 hour and then have fun playing with it in the dark.^{[23]
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- Glow-in-the-dark craft paint can be purchased at a local craft store or online with major retailers.

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Tips

Try to maintain a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of dry to liquid ingredients for an optimal mixture of slime.^{[24]
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Warnings

Adding food coloring to slime may cause it to stain fabrics and some porous surfaces. Play with the slime responsibly.^{[25]
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