How to Make Butter Slime Without Clay

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 23, 2023 References Tested

Butter slime gets its name from its soft, buttery texture. You can spread it with a butter knife, and if you add yellow food coloring to it, it can look like real butter! Unfortunately, most of the popular recipes call for a specific type of clay, which can be hard to find. Luckily, it is possible to make butter slime without any clay using a few simple ingredients that you can find at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Simple Butter Slime

1
Mix together equal amounts of cornstarch and shampoo. Place 3/4 cups (95 g) of cornstarch and 3/4 cups (180 mL) of shampoo into a bowl, then stir everything together with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be dry and crumbly at first, but as you continue to mix it, it will start to form a thick paste.^{[1]
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- If you can't find cornstarch, look for cornflour instead.
- For best results, use an opaque shampoo rather than a clear one.
2
Add 2 to 3 drops of yellow food coloring, if desired. You don't have to do this, but it will really help your slime come together. Keep stirring the slime until the food coloring gets mixed in completely and no streaks remain.
- If you don't care about your slime looking like butter, use a different color, such as blue or purple.
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3
Stir some baby oil into the slime to make it soft. Add a splash of baby oil into the slime, then stir it in with your rubber spatula. If you used too much baby oil and the slime starts to get sticky, sprinkle some cornstarch onto it, and stir again.^{[2]
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- If you can't find baby oil, you could try some hand lotion instead.
4
Knead the slime for a few minutes, adding more cornstarch as needed. Pick the slime up with your hands. Stretch it out, then smoosh it back together again. Do this for a few minutes until the slime turns soft and less sticky. If you need to, knead some more cornstarch into the slime to make it less sticky.^{[3]
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5
Store the slime in an airtight container when you are not playing with it. Keep in mind that this slime will not last forever. Enjoy it while it is still soft—typically 2 to 3 days—then discard it when it turns hard.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Firm Butter Slime

1
Combine equal amounts of cornstarch and shampoo. Pour 1 cup (125 g) of cornstarch and 1 cup (240 mL) of shampoo into a bowl. Stir the 2 together with a rubber spatula until they combine and form a dough.^{[4]
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- If you can't find cornstarch, used cornflour instead; it's the same thing.
- Use an opaque shampoo rather than a clear one for best results.
- This slime recipe is similar to the more traditional, simple slime recipe, except that it feels more firm.
2
Stir in 4 ounces (120 mL) of glue and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lotion. Empty a 4-ounch (120-mL) bottle of white school glue into the bowl. Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of hand lotion, then stir everything together.^{[5]
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- Use only white school glue. Do not use clear school glue. The ingredients are not the same and the slime won't turn out right.
- Choose an unscented lotion, or use a scent that works with the shampoo.
3
Add 2 to 3 drops of food coloring, and stir once more. Yellow is the most popular choice for butter slime, but you can use any color you want. You can even leave the food coloring out if you want white butter slime.^{[6]
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- Avoid using too much food coloring, or the dye will come off on your hands when you play with the slime.
4
Add liquid detergent a little bit at a time until the slime clumps together. Pour some liquid laundry detergent into the bowl, and give it a stir. Keep stirring until the slime clumps together and leaves the sides of the bowl. If the slime isn't coming together, add another splash of liquid laundry detergent and stir again.^{[7]
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- You can also try using a liquid laundry starch instead.
- If you added too much detergent and the slime turned too sticky, knead some cornstarch into it.
5
Take the slime out and knead it for a few minutes. Pull the slime out of the bowl. Pull it apart then squish it back together again. Keep doing this for a few minutes, or until the slime turns soft and is no longer sticky.^{[8]
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- If the slime is still too sticky, sprinkle more cornstarch on top of it, and knead it again.
6
Knead some glitter into the slime, if desired. If you don't care about your slime looking like butter, you can add some glitter into the slime. Add a sprinkle of glitter on top of the slime, then knead the slime until the glitter is mixed in.^{[9]
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- Extra-fine scrapbooking glitter will look the nicest, but you can use the regular chunky kind too.
- If you don't want to use glitter, try shaped, metallic confetti or plastic rhinestone gems.
7
Keep the slime in an airtight container when you are not using it. Enjoy the slime while it is still soft and squishy. After 2 to 3 days, it will start to dry out and harden. Once that happens, you should throw the slime away.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Jiggly Butter Slime

1
Pour some white school glue into a bowl. How much you use does not really matter. You can use an entire 4-ounce (120-mL) bottle, or you can use half. Do not use clear school glue, however.^{[10]
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- This slime recipe is still buttery, but it also has a slight jiggle to it.
2
Add twice as much shaving cream into the bowl. Again, the amount does not have to be precise. Eyeball how much glue you have in the bowl, then squirt out about twice as much shaving cream.^{[11]
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- Make sure that you are using shaving cream and not shaving gel.
- For best results, use men's shaving cream. Women's shaving cream is often tinted, which may change the color of your slime.
3
Mix the 2 ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often to ensure that everything gets mixed together. If you are using tinted women's shaving cream, make sure that the color is consistent, with no swirls of white.
4
Stir in 2 to 3 drops of food coloring, if desired. Yellow food coloring will make your slime look like butter, but you can use any color you want, including green and blue. Once you have added the food coloring, stir your slime again until the color is even.^{[12]
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5
Add a splash of contact lens solution and stir the slime again. This is where the magic happens! Add about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of contact lens solution into the bowl, then stir everything together with a rubber spatula. This will bring the ingredients together and form a slime.^{[13]
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- For best results, use a contact solution that contains "boric acid." This will help bind the ingredients together.
6
Put the slime in an airtight container when you are done playing with it. Nothing lasts forever, and this slime is no exception. After 1 to 2 days, it will start to turn hard and crumbly. At that point, you should throw it away.

Community Q&A

Question

What do I do if I don't have shaving cream?

Community Answer

You can double the amount soap, use baby oil, use coconut butter, use hair conditioner or use shea butter instead.
Question

Can borax be used instead of contact lens solution?

Community Answer

Yes, it can. Borax makes a slime that is as good as, if not better than, contact lens solution.
Question

Where can I buy slime?

Aleena G

Community Answer

Etsy is a good website to buy slime from. There are a lot of choices on Etsy.