Easy DIY Butter Slime


Published: September 23, 2023 · Updated: December 23, 2023 by Sacha

Want to experiment with new slime textures? This easy DIY butter slime recipe is both non-sticky and super stretchy. Use Model Magic clay to create this unique slime that is unlike any other recipe you’ve tried before!

 
Ball of twirled pink butter slime.

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Do your kids love slime? Ours definitely do… and honestly, so do I.

One of the things my kids and I love to do is experiment with different slime textures. There are so many cool possibilities!

We’ve made Floam Bead Slime before and loved its one-of-a-kind crunchy texture. And butter slime is similarly unique, as it contains air dry clay and is a lot less jiggly than other types of slime.

So if you’re looking for a new type of slime to make with your kids, make sure you save this easy recipe for homemade butter slime!

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What Is Butter Slime?

Butter slime is a type of slime that contains air dry clay—usually Model Magic. Because it is made with clay, it is less sticky than other types of slime.

Some butter slime recipes call for shaving cream, but this one is made with Model Magic and lotion. This will yield a super stretchy clay slime that doesn’t lose its volume after a few days like shaving cream slime inevitably does.

I have found that adding both air dry clay and lotion produces the best butter slime.

I also prefer to use contact lens solution as an activator instead of borax. While contact lens solution slime is not technically borax-free since it contains a form of borax called boric acid, it is softer on sensitive skin and easier to find.

Required Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need in order to make butter slime at home:

Ingredients to make butter slime.
  • ¾ cup white glue (we’ve had success with both Elmer’s and Amazon Basics—consider buying it in bulk if you’re planning on making a lot of slime)
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp baby lotion
  • 4 oz Model Magic clay in the colour of your choice (you can also use an equivalent amount of another brand of air dry clay, but Model Magic is the best clay for this type of slime, and each bag contains the exact amount you’ll need for this recipe)
  • 1 – 1 ½ tbsp contact lens solution

Note: The contact lens solution you use must list “boric acid” and “sodium borate” as ingredients in order for the chemical reaction to occur. We bought ours at Walmart and carefully compared ingredients and prices before choosing the brand pictured below.

Contact Lens Solution for Slime Containing Boric Acid and Sodium Borate.

How to Make Butter Slime with Clay (Step-by-Step)

1. Combine Water & Glue

In order to make super soft Model Magic slime, start by pouring ¾ cup of white school glue and 2 tbsp of water into a bowl, and stirring until combined.

Bowl with mixed white glue and water.

2. Add Baking Soda

Mix in ½ teaspoon of baking soda.

3. Add Baby Lotion

Add 2 tbsp of baby lotion and stir until combined. Adding lotion to your homemade butter slime will make it softer and stretchier.

Bowl with white mixture.

I have found that the best lotion for slime is Johnson’s CottonTouch Newborn Face & Body Lotion, which I get at our local Walmart (but which you can order on Amazon if that’s more convenient for you).

This is the same lotion I use to make this super soft 2-Ingredient Cloud Dough, which is always hit with my kids.

4. Add Contact Lens Solution

It’s time to add the slime activator! Start with 1 tablespoon of contact lens solution and stir until well combined.

You may notice the mixture starting to solidify a little, but 1 tablespoon likely won’t be enough to fully activate your slime. You’ll probably end up needing somewhere between 1 tablespoon and 1 ½ tablespoons.

As you stir the mixture with a spoon, it should start to solidify a little, but a single tablespoon may not be enough to fully activate your slime. (You’ll probably end up needing somewhere between 1 tablespoon and 1 ½ tablespoons.)

Once I’ve added the initial tablespoon, I usually add one small squirt at a time, mixing well between each addition.

You can stop adding contact lens solution when the mixture starts sticking to the sides of the bowl, and can be peeled off using a spoon.

5. Add Clay & Knead Slime

Break off a piece of Model Magic clay and start kneading it into the activated slime. As the slime is incorporated into the slime, slowly add more pieces of clay and continue kneading until the entire package has been incorporated.

Note: If you like to wear rings, please remove them before kneading the slime. I once kept my wedding ring on while kneading slime, and it ended up getting into some of the crevices of the ring and causing a rash on my finger due to prolonged exposure.

Bowl filled with white mixture and pink clay.

This part can get pretty messy, so be prepared for that, and know that it is totally normal for your hands to get completely covered in sticky clay and glue.

Hands kneading a sticky pink and white slime mixture.

But as long as you keep kneading, your slime will eventually stop being sticky and start being stretchy. Don’t be surprised if it takes a lot of kneading!

If ever, after kneading the slime for a while, you find that it is simply too sticky, you can always add a little bit of extra contact lens solution to your hands to make things easier.

But don’t be too quick to do that, as you don’t want to over-activate your slime and make it too stiff!

Once all of the air dry clay has been fully incorporated and the slime is no longer sticky, it’s ready to play with! Butter slime is one of our favourites—unlike most types of slime, it’s not very “jiggly” and it sort of feels like really stretchy play dough.

Hands stretching pink butter slime.

It also tends to make less of a mess than regular slime because the modelling clay makes makes it less sticky.

Hands holding on to stretched pink slime as it oozes down.

How to Store Homemade Butter Slime

Like all types of slime, butter slime can get a little stiff if it is exposed to air for too long. And because it contains air dry clay, it will eventually dry out and get hard if you leave it out.

To make it last, we like to store ours in a sealed Ziploc bag with the air removed whenever our kids aren’t playing with it. It usually keeps for several weeks when stored this way, as long as it is not exposed to air for extended periods of time.

Hand stretching pink butter slime.
Ball of twirled pink butter slime.

Butter Slime

Sacha
Looking for experiment with new slime textures? This easy DIY butter slime with air dry clay is both non-sticky and super stretchy!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Slime
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup white school glue
  • 2 tbsp water
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp baby lotion
  • 4 oz Model Magic clay
  • 1 – 1 ½ tbsp contact lens solution

Instructions
 

  • Combine the glue and water in a small bowl.
  • Stir in baking soda.
  • Add baby lotion and stir it in with a spoon.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of contact lens solution and stir with a spoon. If the mixture is still very runny, slowly add a bit more contact lens solution, mixing well and stopping as soon as the mixture can be peeled off the sides of the bowl.
  • Break off a piece of Model Magic and knead it into the glue mixture. Slowly add the remainder of the clay, kneading it all in with your hands. It will start out very sticky, but the more you knead it, the less sticky it will feel.
  • Once the slime is no longer sticky and you are satisfied with the texture, the slime is ready for your child to play with!

Video

Notes

Make sure the contact lens solution you use lists “boric acid” and “sodium borate” as ingredients. If those ingredients are not listed, the slime will not form and the recipe will not work.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Related Slime Recipes

Looking for more fun slime recipes to make for your kids? Check out these articles:

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