Easy DIY Magnetic Slime Recipe

Fun slime recipe and a science experiment rolled (or squished) into one

Co-authored by Finn Kobler

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References

Slime is already a fascinating substance. As a non-Newtonian fluid, its consistency is constantly changing - meaning it can be a liquid or a solid. But did you know that slime can also be magnetic? With just a few household ingredients like Elmer’s glue and baking soda, you can turn slime from a fun toy into a scientific wonder. Follow this recipe to make your own magnetic slime!

Ingredients

¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of Elmer’s glue
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of water
½ teaspoon (2 grams) of baking soda
1 tablespoon (78 grams) of iron oxide powder
2 tablespoons (30 mL) of contact lens solution (or other solution containing boric acid and sodium borate)
neodymium magnet

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Creating Your Magnetic Slime

1
Work on a covered surface in a well-ventilated room. Making magnetic slime is a fun, but messy process. Make sure you’re crafting on a flat, covered table in a room with an open window or air vent to avoid inhaling the iron oxide powder or borax from your boric solution.
- Have gloves ready if you don’t want to get your hands dirty.
2
Combine the water and glue in a mixing bowl. In your mixing bowl, add your ½ cup of water and ½ cup of glue. Stir until the solution is mixed well.^{[1]
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- Optional: If you want your magnetic slime to have a certain color, add a drop of that specific food coloring to the mixture.
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3
Add the baking soda. Add your ½ teaspoon of baking soda to your diluted glue and mix the solution completely.^{[2]
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4
Add your contact solution a little at a time until the mixture peels. Slowly, add your contact lens solution a little at a time. Start with ½ tablespoon and stir. Continue until the mixture balls together and peels away from the bowl.^{[3]
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- If you don’t have a contact lens solution, other solutions that contain the necessary compounds boric acid and sodium borate are laundry detergents, household cleaners, and liquid starch.
- If you are using a household cleaning solution instead, stand away while pouring to avoid ingesting any fumes.
5
Knead your slime. Use your hands to squeeze, ball, and smooth out your slime several times. Pretty soon, you should have a putty-like slime!^{[4]
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- If the slime seems sticky at first, keep kneading. It should thicken as time progresses.
- Wear gloves for this part if you don’t want to get your hands dirty.
6
Add your iron powder. Slowly add your tablespoon of iron oxide powder to the slime.^{[5]
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- Stand away to avoid ingesting iron dust.
- Iron oxide powder (or iron fillings) can be purchased at a nearby craft store, Walmart, or online if you don’t feel like going out!
7
Knead the iron powder into the slime. Once you’ve added your iron fillings, knead the slime until the powder is fully mixed in and it is all one color.^{[6]
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- Around this time, the slime should start to smooth and dry. Use a paper towel if necessary to assist with this process.
- If one tablespoon is not enough iron oxide powder, feel free to add up to two.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Playing With Your Magnetic Slime

1
Observe the slime’s magnetism! By now, you should have fully functional magnetic slime. Place your neodymium magnet close to the putty and watch their attraction!^{[7]
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- Make sure you’re using neodymium magnets for this process. Neodymium magnets are a form of rare-Earth magnets with a super-strong magnetic pull and boron as a key element, making them extra reactive to the borax in the slime.^{[8]
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- Avoid slamming magnets together so your fingers don’t get hurt.
- Keep your slime and magnet away from cell phones, credit cards and other devices with magnetic sensors that can be stripped away.
- Neodymium magnets can be found online or at your local hardware store.
- For fun, place your magnet on top of the slime and watch the slime swallow it whole!
2
Create magnetic field lines in your slime. To fully observe its scientific value, flatten your slime into a small rectangle and cover it in plastic wrap. Place your magnet on top of the slime for two minutes, then show it to the light. Look at the marks!^{[9]
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- These field lines are a great example of your slime’s magnetic force.
3
Clean your materials. When finished, clean your bowl, spatula and mixing materials to avoid the glue and baking soda sticking to them or, worse, the iron fillings causing damage.
4
Be careful of rust! Because of its metallic properties, your slime has a short shelf life. In roughly 48 hours, it will turn into a brown goo. Don’t contaminate your containers by attempting to store it. Appreciate your day of fun and then dispose of it promptly.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

Question

Will the magnets cut my hands?

Community Answer

Fingers can quickly become caught between magnets causing, which has the potential to cause cuts or blisters, but it's unlikely.