How to Make Flubber

Last Updated: May 16, 2021 Tested

Flubber may have been a goofy movie with Robin Williams in 1997, but it is also an incredibly goopy craft project that kids will love. Flubber is wiggly, slimy, and gross--what more would any kid want? It's fun and easy to make several different kinds of flubber. Robin Williams would be proud.

Ingredients

Basic Flubber

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 cup any white glue
2 Tablespoons of Borax
Food coloring (optional)

Gak (Borax-free Flubber)

1 cup glue
1 cup liquid starch
Food coloring

Edible Flubber

1 can (14 oz.) of sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
Food coloring

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Making Basic Flubber

1
Mix 3/4 cup of the water with 1 cup glue in a bowl. Stir this mixture until it is thoroughly mixed together. Set it aside.
2
Mix 2 tablespoons of Borax with a 1/2 cup of water in a separate bowl. Mix thoroughly until all of the Borax is dissolved.
3
Combine the two mixtures. Stir them together. Add several drops of food colouring until the mixture is the colour you want it to be.
4
Put the mixture in a plastic bag with a good seal. Close the bag, making sure it is tightly closed. Knead the mixture for a few minutes and your flubber will be done. You can store the flubber in the bag you mix it in.
5
Finished.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Making Gak (Borax-free Flubber)

1
Pour 1 cup of white glue into a bowl. Add several drops of food colouring until it is the desired colour.
2
Pour 1 cup of liquid starch into the glue mixture. Stir thoroughly. When the glue and liquid starch start to mix, they should become very thick.
3
Mix more starch in if it seems too sticky. The starch is what makes the glue stretchy rather than sticky. Be aware that Gak will stick to clothes and carpets, but it comes out very easily with a little warm water and some scrubbing.
4
Store Gak in a container with a good lid.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Making Edible Flubber

1
Pour one can (14 oz.) of sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan. Turn the stove on to a low heat.
2
Add one tablespoon of cornstarch to the saucepan. Stir the mixture over a low heat.
3
Remove the saucepan from the heat when the mixture starts to thicken. Add drops of food colouring until the edible flubber is the colour you want it to be. Stir the mixture.
4
Allow the mixture to cool before you play (or eat) it. Be aware that edible flubber can stain light colored clothing and carpets. It should come out with warm water and detergent.
5
Store edible flubber in a container or seal-able plastic bag.

Community Q&A

Question

Will it last a week?

Community Answer

Yes! It can even last up to a year (or longer) as long as it's in a sealed container.
Question

Is there any other way to make slime without starch or borax?

Community Answer

You can try using a thick soap. Put it in the fridge for an hour or in the freezer for 10 minutes and it will look like slime.
Question

Can I use laundry detergent instead of liquid starch?

Community Answer

Yes, but it will smell like detergent, and make you smell like detergent too!
Question

Where can I purchase Borax?

Community Answer

If you're from the UK, check eBay or Amazon. If you're in the USA, it will be in the laundry section of most stores.
Question

Can I make flubber with cornflour?

Community Answer

Most of the time it will harden, but it depends on what method you're using. If you use the Borax method, it will become slightly more firm than it was. If you use the starch method, it will make it sort of fluffy.
Question

What is the difference between basic and edible Flubber?

Community Answer

The edible version does not have borax or soap and the none edible one does, so you can not eat the basic one, because it is toxic.
Question

Can I do this with a glue substitute of some type?

Community Answer

No, only glue will work.
Question

Can I make flubber without food coloring?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. Food coloring only adds color to it, but does not do anything to the slime. Therefore, you do not need the food coloring.
Question

Can I do it without glue?

Community Answer

Nope, you can't make slime without glue and you have to use Elmer's school glue for the best results.
Question

Are the ways (not the edible one) non-toxic?

Community Answer

Borax is not edible and is toxic. If the glue is non toxic and the dish soap is too, the child might still get stomach problems if they eat it.

Warnings

Borax is toxic. Do not ingest, and ensure that any children do not. Supervise children while making Flubber with Borax.

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