November 17, 2023

‘FROZEN’ Silly Putty

 

Frozen Silly Putty Top Shot

My kids are mad for two things, Silly Putty and at the moment the ‘Frozen’ Movie! I have plenty of experience with Silly Putty, so I thought I would put a special, surprise twist on it, much to my daughter’s delight… ‘FROZEN Silly Putty’! This stuff can be stored for MONTHS too! Just add it to an air tight container or zippy bag!

Check out our easy video at the top of this post!

To make your own you will need:

1 bottle of Clear School Glue (147ml)

The same amount of water (147 ml)

1/2 teaspoon of Borax (I bought mine from my local hardware store in the cleaning section for $8)

1/2 cup hot water

A few sprinkles of silver & blue glitter

A few drops of blue food colouring

Frozen collage 1

Step 1

Pour your glue into a bowl

Step 2

Fill the same bottle with water and add to the glue

Step 3

Stir until well combined

Step 4

Add a few drops of blue food colouring & stir again

Step 5

Add a few sprinkles of the glitter & give it another good stir

Frozen 3

Step 6

In a separate cup, add 1/2 cup of hot water

Step 7

Add 1/2 a teaspoon of the Borax to the water and stir until dissolved

Step 8

Pour this solution into your original bowl with the glue and water

Step 9

This is the best part! Stir and watch the magic happen! Doesn’t it look cool! It may take you a few minutes to make sure it’s all combined properly

Step 10

Enjoy this fun, sensory activity!

Frozen Silly Putty 6 Frozen silly putty 7

Check out some of our other ‘Silly Putty’ fun:

Jelly/Jello Silly Putty

 
You may also like our:
 
 
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227 thoughts on “‘FROZEN’ Silly Putty

  1. Just as a money saving FYI, you can get a large box of borax at walmart, in the laundry aisle, for a few bucks.

      1. Big W might carry what you need. Big W is like the US Walmart, only lacks the weird people… I miss Big W and Australia.

    1. I bought it from my local supermarket Woolworths, but you will also find it in large stationary stores too ” )

    2. When my kids were small, I just bought a gallon of Elmer’s glue. It was very cheap in large quantities, and definitely came in handy during all the years I was a Girl Scout Leader. You just buy 2 or 3 small containers and keep refilling them.

  2. We made this for an afternoon craft. We are big flubber fans, and I’ve never thought to use the clear glue. It worked really well! Thanks for the great idea!

    1. I haven’t tried it Jaime, but I’m sure it will be fineā€¦.it just wouldn’t be as shiny I suspect : )

  3. My 33 month old loved this! We made this and then played for an hour with it this morning and he cried and cried when it was time to put it away. I promised we would return to it later!

  4. Made this today and Miss 2 LOVED it. She called it “Elsa dough.” It looks really pretty and has a lovely squishy feel. I used clag clear gum (the only clear stuff I could find) which was 118 mL. Otherwise I followed the instructions exactly, but it didn’t turn out as stretchy as I’d hoped.

    1. I’ve had our last batch in a zip locked seal bag for over 2 weeks and it’s still going strong! Jenni x

  5. Trick to make the food coloring less messy .. Add it to the water.. works on playdoughs and many other projects first.. it does wonders… and food coloring doesn’t end up all over hands and counters..

  6. We made this and it seems to be not so stretchy and tears easily… is this normal or did I mess up?

  7. My 4 yr old is home after tonsil surgery so we made this today. Followed directions exactly. She loves it and it has kept her entertained but its not slimy and can’t be pulled apart. Did I do something wrong?
    Thanks

  8. OMG! we just made this( did a neon green coloring) and it is so much fun! Thank you so very much. I think Im having more fun with it then my 4 yr old is!

  9. We made it tonight for party favors and my daughter loves it. It breaks apart really easy. IS there anything we can add to make it more slimy??

  10. Hey! I really love this recipe! I think we might actually be able to make our first batch of slime because of this! I might even have all accept borax, right now šŸ˜€ Thanks A Bunch!

  11. I have my niece for the week and was looking for something fun to do….we made this and it turned out awesome…my daughter and niece played for over an hour happily while I made dinner….and even ask it was more fun than swimming at the pool earlier. Win! Thanks so much for this!

    1. That’s so lovely to hear Janine! We’re so happy your daughter & niece had so much fun! Our job here is done : )

  12. Hi got all the ingredients to go for this weekend except for the glue … now the glue is clear in the bottle right… as my husband is insisting that I use PVA which is white and dries clear… whereas I feel that PVA would make the dough tough.

    1. No, this isn’t PVA glue. This is clear “school” glue, or gel glue. It’s washable, and I’m pretty sure that PVA isn’t. The glue itself is clear in the bottle. The brand I found was Elmer’s.

      1. Can you use regular ‘white’ washable school glue and get good results? Its cheaper (& easier to find in bulk). I assume it will still have the right composition from a technical standpoint but will it still have the ‘magic’?

    1. In the US, we find Borax along with laundry detergent and other laundry projects.

      My daughter’s preschool uses borax to make their own silly putty and things like that, so apparently the state inspectors feel that it’s safe enough!

  13. I made this today with white school glue and it works fine .. but not the same cool look though as using the clear glue gives it more of a “frozen” look.

    1. I didn’t even know you could get Blue Elmer’s Glue! Total awesomeness! Yes you could definitely use that!! Jenni x

    2. The blue glue gel is also cheaper than the clear by $1/bottle šŸ™‚
      I used with same results as clear + dye.

      Now the regular white glue, even dyed with glitter…. Just not as pretty. Great texture and consistency but no magic to the visual.

  14. I found blue glitter glue made by elmers when I went today! Worked like a dream. They had other colors too that I might try later.

  15. Does the glitter end up everywhere while they are playing with it or does it stay in the “dough”?

  16. I don’t have children but my friends do; I’m always looking for fun projects that I can do with them using stuff I have on hand – this will be perfect!

  17. This looks great fun!
    Anonymous, I’ve bought Borax from Wilkinson’s in the past in the UK.
    However I’ve never heard of clear glue (I’m a primary school teacher too & never seen it in a school)….think we just have regular white PVA. I’m going to have a look on Amazon though….what did we do before Amazon!!!

  18. Thanks for the idea. We made it and skipped a step, we bought clear glue with glitter in it already!

  19. I just made this with the kids and I don’t know who was more excited about me or the kids, hahaha! It was super fun and very easy to make. Great summer activity.

  20. Made this with my niece today. Used white glitter. She had a blast. Turned out great! She likes finding objects in the putty.

  21. Made this with my niece today. Used white glitter. She had a blast. Turned out great! She likes finding objects in the putty.

  22. What does the borax do? I’m just wondering if I can use something else only because such a small amount is needed and I’m trying to save $$$, plus can’t be bothered going to bunnings to get it. šŸ˜‰
    Cheers, Amanda xx

  23. 20 mule team borax, I use it all the time to wash clothes to make them brighter and smell clean, it deodorizes. it will kill ants etc also , but yes it is safe…we keep many boxes on hand …have made silly putty with white glue and it lasts for a long long time, we keep it in glad storage containers…Can’t wait to make the FROZEN silly putty with my grand daughter…

  24. I am a veterinarian in the USA, my 8 yo granddaughter is visiting so spends a lot of time at the clinic. This was a great quick project during lunch. she loved it very much. My technicians had to make some too! In fact, all three are outside, on break, playing with their silly putty.

  25. Everyone worried about buying Borax because you’re trying to save … Don’t. I have saved hundreds of dollars over the years by making my own cleaning spray (which works!) over the years: 500ml hot water, 1tbsp borax, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1tspn dish washing liquid (and I add lavender and rosemary oils for smell and antibacterial properties, but they’re optional). It’s also so much better for us people than the harsh chemicals in most products. You can also use borax for lots of other things – ideas on the box. In Australia I think it’s cheapest from Bunnings (the cleaning aisle). On the other hand, not sure if I’ll find clear school glue in Perth before my daughter’s Frozen party on Saturday!

  26. I used the sparkly Elmer school glue. It only comes in pink, purple and green. Used pink, it looks great! It is too thick, however, not pliable. What can I do to make the silly putty less stiff and breakable?

    1. Gail,
      I just made it also is not pliable not sure why followed the directions to a T.
      My granddaughter still liked squishing through it but she is done now guess this is a trash one.
      I used the clear glue “gel” that might have been the reason? I am bummed I was really excited to try it and give some to a friend that was doing an Frozen Elsa birthday party.

      1. I made it exactly as instructions said and had no problem. Use the Elmer’s clear glue: no sparkly glue, no gel, just the regular 147 mL clear glue as it says. Also, the silly putty is naturally not as pliable when you push and pull it quickly. It’s made to be used and shaped slowly. Hope this helps! My kids had a lot of fun with this and are ready to make more!

    2. More borax maybe? I used the 177ml Glitter Glue and that is just a little more than what this recipe calls for. Mine turned out just like you described. Maybe we could try 1 tsp of borax next time?

    3. When we used to make this at the day center I worked at (wasn’t glitter type though) we used liquid starch instead of water, worked great, maybe it will also work good with this?

    4. I have used a similar recipe for years with my third graders and the glue is the answer. Elmer’s white school glue seems to work the best, not the gel! Kids love it!!!! I am excited to add the glitter this time!

      1. At the sudsy care
        I
        Worked at we never used borax- is that just for not sticking?
        We used the liquid starch and white glue pretty much equal portions and that was it BUT the kids had to wear smocks –
        It will stick to their clothes!

    5. you have to put it on a resealable transparent plastic bag you can buy it from the grocery store and if it hardens you have to put 1 teaspoon of water in the bag with the putty and reseal it again šŸ™‚

  27. I just made this with my daughter and a friend who’s staying the night. It was fun and they are loving playing with it. We used white glue instead of clear, because that’s all I had. Still turned out great.

  28. I made this today got clue from the Reject shop Borax from Coles and used glitter glue pens instead of food color and glitter , worked out fantastic , may need to a a little extra Borax due to extra glue šŸ™‚ . Left over Borax is a fantastic cleaner a packet of 10 glue sticks only cost $2 used 3 for slime the rest will go in the craft box .. Excellent xxx

  29. making this for my niece’s Frozen party. I’m going to store it in baby food jars, spray painting the lids silver šŸ™‚

    1. I’ve got some “condiment cups” for storing our own party favors, but we’re doing the same thing.

    2. How much silly putty did this make? I’d love to know how many baby jars it filled so I can do something similar! Thanks!

    3. I actually bought Jeweled Eggs for my daughter off of the oriental trading website. They look like things that royalty would have! My daughter freaked when she saw them for her birthday party! Can’t wait to try out the recipe! Thanks to all the comment,I bought plain clear glue and not the gel one, I’m hoping it works out better ^_^

  30. You must pour the borax mixture into the glue mixture slowly in a thin stream and stir constantly and keep stirring. If you dump it in all at once it will stay very thin. I also reduced the hot water to 1/4 cup.

    1. I’ve had mine in a snap lock bag for over a month and have bought it out again and again for my kids : )

  31. Would love to know how much this recipe makes and if it’s dirty to play with. Like could I let my daughter play with it in her Elsa dress or would it stain?

    1. Hey Kim, not sure when you posted this question but I just made a batch tonight

      With
      1c glue
      1tsp borax
      3/4c cold water
      1/2c warm water

      Only makes 3 1/2 baby food jars….. Back to walmart I went to buy a ton of glue lol.. Need to make 30 for my daughters birthday:) good luck

  32. Awesome! My boys and I just made this and played with it for over an hour before I made them put it away so they could have a snack. They are so excited to show it to Daddy when he gets home from work. Can’t wait to try it in other colors.

  33. Just made it and my girls love it. . . .not exactly what I was expecting but it turned out good with using the recipe and instructions giving. Thank you:)

  34. I just made this with my daughter as a ‘test run’ for our daycare. She LOVED it! We cheated though and just used the colored glitter glue (purple). It took a bit for it to stop being the gooey sticky and become more the consistency its supposed to be. I just left my daughter playing with it for a minute and when I came back, it was right lol. My son will be so jealous he didn’t get to help make it but we will be making some more soon with other kids as well. So cheap and easy to make! And the Borax can be used for soooo much more! Thanks for the cute, amazing idea!

    1. Thank you Sonya, am from NZ too – off to get some in the morning and then make some for my youngest niece. X Yasmin

  35. With regard to the “How long does it last?” questions, including my own…

    I made a batch of this about a month ago, and it’s been sitting around, getting played with occasionally, but mostly sitting in a plastic container. I thought it was keeping remarkably well.

    Tonight I made several more batches for use as party favors for an upcoming party. Comparing the two, it is very clear that the older batch has yellowed in comparison to the freshly made batch. I don’t know whether this is simply due to age, or due to small amounts of contamination as it’s been played with, or due to exposure to light (the batch I was comparing was stored in a nearly-clear container near a sunny window).

    It’s something worth thinking about, for sure. Maybe I’ll run some experiments with the new batch.

  36. My 5-year-old and I made this. It was way too easy, and she has spent a total of about 6 or 7 hours playing with this stuff in the last 3 days. I made it with the exact ingredients listed. It does “break” on occasion, but it is also very pliable and kind of oozes around. Thanks so much!

    1. you can use liquid starch and omit the water mixed with the glue. equal parts glue and liquid starch. make sure to add the color to the glue and mix well before adding the starch.

  37. Is there anything I can substitute for the Borax? I’m only making a small amount with my grandson. All I could find was a large box, too expensive for just a teaspoon. thanks. Nancy W.

    1. You can always make slime from glue and Sta-Flo liquid starch instead šŸ™‚ I made some at an event I worked this weekend. I don’t know if it works with clear glue as well as it does with white, but I imagine it wouldn’t be difficult to try.

    1. Hi Pammie, You would need to maybe double the batch, it would be fine to divide the mixture between the bags.

      Louise x

  38. For those looking to make a good amount!

    5 bottles 147ml clear glue
    1 bottle blue sparkly glue (slightly bigger)
    A couple drops food coloring
    3.5 cups of water
    3.5 teaspoons borax

    This made 12, 4oz containers (for party) plus a good chunk left for my kids to have at home. I’d say container wise you could probably get close to 20 4oz containers with this recipe!

    If you can find a bottle of sparkly glue-use it! Turns our so pretty with a little food coloring! At first the mixture will seem really clumpy and breakable but once it is played it really gets pliable!

    1. If you add a fe drops of glycerine (available in the baking aisle of supermarket) it acts as a plasticiser and makes it more pliable and less breaky. X

  39. Hahahahahahaha, this stuff is amazing! 1st time ever, i made the kids watch tv so i could play with it 1st and i can’t stop laughing! Thank you so much for this simple fun, now its kiddos turn!!!

  40. Made a batch today and it turned out pretty well, except less pliable/more breakable than I would have liked … does that mean I need to add more Borax or less?

    Thanks for the recipe! My daughter loves it and will be awesome for her Frozen birthday party!

    1. Hi Ashley, I would suggest trying it with a little less borax. I’ve also heard (but haven’t yet tested) that a few drops of glycerine can help with elasticity.

      Sounds like your daughter is going to have an AWESOME birthday!!

      Louise x

      1. Ok, I made another batch using less borax and it is much more pliable and stretchy … but very sticky? It sticks to my hands pretty good. Is that how it’s supposed to turn out? Or am I doing something wrong?

  41. Do you heat the water in stove or can you do in microwave. How long did people put water on stove or microwave? Thanks very cool idea

  42. Made this as party favors for my daughters birthday. All the kids loved it! When I first made it and mixed it up it was not as pliable ad I was hoping, but after sitting for a little bit it worked great. I used Elmers clear school glue. Then added good coloring and sparkles. It was a hit and lots of the parents asked for the recipe to take home with them.

  43. Hi,

    I am from South Africa, I really want to try out this recipe.
    But first i need to make sure i’m getting the right things…
    The Clear School Glue – is that like a wood glue? or a craft glue? (they both dry clear)
    and what else can be used in the place of Borax? I’m not sure i would find that here.

    Thanks Dannii

    1. Hi Dannii

      I am also from South Africa….I bought Borax from the local Pharmacy.
      But I am also unsure regarding the clear glue…….

      Cecile

      1. Hi Cecile,

        I believe the clear glue they are talking about is the TRANSPARENT (clear like water) Elmer’s glue. You can also use the regular white school glue with great results.

  44. Those of you that made it and it wasn’t pliable…. Did anyone figure out a way to salvage the batch or do we just have to dump that whole batch and start over?
    Best alteration to the directions to get good pliable slime rather than “breakable” jello consistency?

  45. Does this come out like the old silly putty I could get in the store when I was a kid…long time ago. Or is it more like slime?

    1. More Silly Putty than slime…well like the Silly Putty I’ve always played with (not sure if yours was the same though). Louise x

  46. What an awesome presentation of your little boy. Tumbes up for his courage. Ma kids and I will have to try your recipe soon

  47. I teach early childhood classes at our local community college and we’ve made it in class a couple of times. It’s a great recipe, and is one my students will make it in their own classrooms someday.
    It will last a while in airtight containers. If it gets hard, you can put it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and it will soften up nicely.

    1. It keeps for a really long time in a snap lock bag or air tight container…we get months out of ours šŸ™‚

  48. i tried this out tonight with my son and it came out as really sticky slime? I’ve tried adding a bit more glue and borax but it just won’t go to Silly Putty consistency…? What can I do to get it to stop being so sticky?

  49. Mine turned out pliable and my girls are loving it – but it is definitely not clear and sparkly…kind of bluish / milky and not that pretty. I used white glue. Does clear glue make it more clear? Anyone know?

    1. Not sure when you asked this question, but yes, clear glue will clear this right up! I made batches using each and the white glue stayed milky while the clear one was very transparent. Both of mine, however, are very breakable

    1. We have made a double batch without any problems – I’m sure a triple batch would be fine too :). Louise x

    1. I used the glitter glue and followed the rest of the recipe. No color came off, the color is perfect and it already has a ton of glitter!

  50. Just made this my my little monkeys, blue frozen for my 6year old daughter, and red for my 5 year old son. We had to use white pea glue as for some reason the clear glue we get in the UK is a whole lot thinner than what you can get in the States. X

    1. Hi Kate – I have the same issue in Malaysia – does the white of the glue affect the colour of the putty? And is the texture more silly putty or slime? Thanks!

  51. I’m going to make this for my daughter’s frzen party, too. Do you think regular glitter or extra fine glitter will look better? Does the food coloring stain hands and clothes? Could I use liquid watercolor instead? Thanks!

    1. I used food colouring and it stained their hands I would recommend using a non toxic water based paint. Hope this helps. I also used glitter glue and added stars and snowflakes x

  52. Just made for my 5 year daughter’s upcoming birthday! I didn’t have clear Elmers glue & used the regular Elmers white glue 225ml instead. Came out really well & no staining however should have added more blue coloring to get a dark blue. I did find dickblick.com was the cheapest place for clear Elmers blue.

    1. Slime is formed by a chemical reaction between borax and glue. Without it all you have is watery glue. But liquid starch also works. The recipe is different though (just google slime liquid starch) because the starch is liquid and the borax is a powder.

  53. This looks great. I wanna make it for my girl’s space themed 2nd bday! Is this stuff easy to clean up as I’m sure she had her friends may get it everywhere! Putting it in baby jars is also a great idea (especially if I can make it glow!)

  54. Too many comments to check them all, but Borax is at Walmart for under $4 a box. I can’t wait to try this with my littles.

    1. we have made all different colors and never have had stained hands, I also found that I have to add more water to make it the consistency of slime other wise it is like a soft rubber

  55. I just tried this recipe yesterday with my daughter and nephew. The putty is not as gooy as it should be and actually holds its shape really well. Next time I’m going to try it with less borax. Still an awesome recipe though!

  56. I don’t know what I did wrong. It clumped up into tiny pieces and just breaks apart instead of stretching. It won’t stick back together. Any idea what I could have done?

  57. How did you store it? I’m wanting to use it as one of the party favors for my daughter’s birthday.

    Thanks,
    BriAnna

  58. How many “servings” does this recipe make? I’m looking to have enough for roughly 12 kids for party favors. thank you!

  59. It looks fantastic and fun…….BUT………….Borax has been withdrawn from the European market because posioning…not even good to give to insects….Just saying. Watch out what your precious kids play with…..

    1. It’s your call, of course whether to use liquid starch or borax, but according to Crunchy Betty (http://www.crunchybetty.com/getting-to-the-bottom-of-borax-is-it-safe-or-not) the reason it’s banned in Europe is concern about it’s accumulation in soil, not because of human safety. Boric acid is the insect killer, not borax. As for liquid starch, I took a look at the ingredients (Ingredients:
      Water, Corn Starch, Cyclocarboxypropyloleic Acid & Sodium Hydroxide (Soap), Sodium Tetraborate (Builder), Tetrasodium Edta (Chelator), Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate (Chelator), Dimethicone (Film Former), Sodium Metabisulfate (Builder), Fragrance.) and decided I’d rather use borax — a mineral compound mined from the ground — instead.

    1. It lasts aaaaaages Leanne. If the kids get it dirty (i.e. drop it on the ground) you may need to make a batch, otherwise, it will literally stay fresh for months & months! Jen x

  60. If you don’t want to mess with glitter and food coloring, you can use Elmers Glitter Glue. I used it and it works great!! It’s really glittery and it comes in 5 colors!

  61. My grandson and I made this for my granddaughter’s 4 year Frozen party. I couldn’t find clear glue at the Target when I was searching but I found a blue glitter glue in the same size bottle. We followed the recipe exactly except that we did not have to add glitter or food coloring. It turned out perfectly and it was a big hit at the party. Am so glad that we tried this.

  62. thank you for giving exact amounts…sometimes American bloggers don’t remember that their posts are of interest to people in other countries and that we have no idea what size a bottle of Elmers glue is or what the equivelent is in our country! I like the idea of using a bottle of glitter glue as I tried another recipe on the net and my glue and borax did not come together but made tiny bits..so was clearly the wrong kind of glue. And glue is not a cheap product either!

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