DIY Guide for Creating Silly Putty at Home
Summer is a season of exploration and learning, and what better way to embrace it than by creating your own science experiments at home? This week, Erica from What Do We Do All Day? is hosting a free Summer Science Camp each Thursday, including an engaging activity on making homemade silly putty.
However, the children found that their homemade silly putty didn't quite replicate the printable consistency of store-bought versions. To address this, we've gathered some key modifications to help you create a printable homemade silly putty.
To improve the flow, elasticity, and surface texture of your homemade silly putty, consider incorporating a small amount of silicone-based lubricant or light mineral oil to increase smoothness and flexibility. This will make the putty less sticky and easier to flow or print from molds or extruders.
Another strategy is to adjust the polymer base for elasticity and printability. Homemade silly putty typically includes white glue and borax or saline (boric acid) solutions. Increasing the proportion of the glue or incorporating a small amount of silicone caulk or silicone rubber compounds can enhance stretch and printing behavior.
Controlling moisture and cross-linking is also crucial. Too much water or strong cross-linking can make the putty too firm or brittle. Reducing additives that make the putty stiff (like excess borax) and balancing with softening agents can help prevent brittleness and hardness.
Lastly, incorporating fine fillers or thickeners such as lightweight fillers (e.g., spackling paste used in fake silicone blob crafts) could help fine-tune texture and printing consistency without making the putty crumbly.
While there are no direct recipes for making silly putty printable, related crafting tips show that adding silicone components or lightweight fillers improves sculptability and texture for craft blobs and fake frosting projects, which share some physical qualities.
After letting the silly putty sit for about 10 minutes, the children were able to knead it again and achieve a more suitable consistency. The kids, who had previously played with silly putty at engineering camp, were excited to experiment and figure out how to fix the consistency of their homemade version.
The Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids page, shared during the Summer Science Camp, offers many more science experiments that kids will find enjoyable. To get started on your own silly putty adventure, you'll need Elmer's Glue All, Sta-Flo Liquid Starch, and food coloring. The basic recipe for silly putty is 2 parts glue and 1 part liquid starch.
With a little bit of trial and error, you'll be well on your way to creating a printable homemade silly putty that rivals store-bought versions. Happy experimenting!
- To enhance the printability of homemade silly putty, consider adding silicone-based lubricant or light mineral oil for smoother texture and flexibility, helping the putty flow or print more easily.
- Improving the elasticity and printability of homemade silly putty can be achieved by adjusting the polymer base, either by increasing the proportion of white glue or incorporating small amounts of silicone caulk or silicone rubber compounds.
- Aside from science experiments, modifying homemade putty to improve its printability can also be a fun learning opportunity in the realm of lifestyle, home-and-garden, education-and-self-development, and creativity.
