This mermaid slime is made to look just like a mermaid’s tail. The slime is filled with glitter that looks like the scales on a mermaid tail. This would be perfect to make with the mermaid fan in your house or even for a mermaid-themed party.
RELATED: Fluffy Slime
Mermaid Slime Recipe
When we picture a mermaid tail we think of the colors blue and green and sparkling silver and blue scales on the tail. With that vision in mind we wanted to create a slime that looked just like a mermaid’s tail.
And if you’re a fan of unicorns too – we have 2 very fun unicorn slime recipes that would be perfect to make for a unicorn party – this Fluffy Slime and a glitter glue Unicorn slime.
If you’re looking for a general slime recipe, our base slime recipe can be found here: How to Make Slime With Contact Solution. We like to use contact lens solution instead of pure borax in our slime recipes. This basic recipe is what we used to make our mermaid slime.
This slime is really easy to make and leaves little mess since you don’t have to use any food coloring. We like to use Elmer’s Glitter glue for this reason. You won’t end up with any stained hands from having to color your glue with food coloring.
What is Slime?
Slime is a polymer. Other examples of polymers are Jell-O, gum and rubber bands. White glue is also an example of a polymer. A polymer is made of long chains of polyvinyl acetate molecules. These chains slide easily making the substance like glue easily pourable.
The Science Behind Slime
When you add the contact lens solution to the glue, it counteracts the glue and forms a viscous substance of slime which can be shaped and pulled. This slime forms due to the glue molecules cross-linking with the borate ions. This is a bond that causes the large molecules to no longer slide freely past one another (like the substance was when it was a glue). Therefore resulting in the slime substance!
Will this Slime Recipe Work?
If you want to make sure your slime turns out – be sure to read the instructions carefully. The type of contact lens solution you need and glue is very important! Substituting these ingredients for other brands may result in your slime not working. We have countless readers who have made our slime. The issue usually lies in not getting the right contact lens solution. Sometimes also not having quality glue can cause issues. This is why we always recommend Elmers.
Safety tips: Adults only should make the slime and handle all chemicals. Do not substitute any ingredients in our slime recipes. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves while playing with the slime. Always wash hands before and after use. If you notice any skin irritation discontinue use immediately. See the bottom of the post for more safety precautions.
The other thing we love about what we’ve put into this slime is the glitter is chunky. This chunky glitter gives it more sparkle you can notice and is smooth on your hands when playing with it. We did test trying to make a mermaid slime with sequins and because the sequins are bigger, thicker, and less smooth the feel of the slime is not as smooth as this slime.
Biodegradable Glitter – we have had some requests for a biodegradable glitter option. We found this chunky biodegradable glitter from Etsy as an alternative. Note that this glitter will start to break down after a few weeks when exposed to any liquid. Another option is you can buy Elmers Green and Blue Colored glue which does not contain glitter. You can also use clear glue and add food coloring to make it a teal color.
How Long Does Slime Last?
Store in an air tight container and it should last at least 1 week. Usually much longer. We like to store in a Ziploc bag so we can press out all of the air from the bag. When not in use, we recommend placing in the air tight bag so that the air exposure does not dry the slime out.
Watch the Video Tutorial
Ingredients Needed to Make Mermaid Slime
– 2 Bottles of Elmer’s Glitter Glue (6 oz). We used blue and green. Note: We have only tested this with Elmer’s glitter glue and recommend this brand as other brands may not work.
– 1/4 cup of water which will make your slime stretchier.
– Chunky silver and blue glitter. The glitter we used was called Peacock Mix by Recollections from Michaels.
– 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
– 1½ TBSP of Contact lens solution. **Important: your brand of contact lens solution must contain boric acid and sodium borate. We like this brand the best and use it in all of our slime recipes. See our full contact solution slime recipe for the brands we recommend.
How to Make Mermaid Slime
1. Get a bowl to mix your slime ingredients in.
2. Empty your bottle of blue glitter glue into the bowl.
Then add a little bit of your green glitter glue. Set the green glitter glue aside for another craft project. Mix both glues together.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and mix in thoroughly.
4. Add 1/4 cup of water.
Then add in your chunky glitter and a little bit of fine blue glitter. We used a lot of the chunky glitter so that it covered the slime and looked more like a mermaid tail.
You can find a selection of chunky glitter at a craft supply store – we got ours at Michaels.
5. Slowly add in your contact lens solution.
Add it in a teaspoon at a time and then continue to mix.
Reminder: your contact lens solution should contain boric acid and sodium borate or your slime will not form. We like this brand the best. See also our tips on How to Make Slime with Contact Solution.
We like to add a few teaspoons of contact solution at a time and then mix. Once the slime starts to pull away from the bowl you can take the slime out and knead with your hands. It will still be sticky at this point and that is normal. Just keep kneading. If after kneading for 5 minutes it is still sticky, add more contact lens solution, a few teaspoons at a time.
If you find it still too sticky after kneading try adding some baby oil or lotion to your hands instead. You can also add in more contact lens solution if you still find it too sticky. But we like to caution that adding in too much contact lens solution will make the slime become harder and not as stretchy to play with.
Now your slime is ready to play with! This slime is perfect to make for a Mermaid party or even just for the Mermaid-obsessed slime fan. Kids will love stretching this Mermaid tail slime!
This slime will last at least a week if stored in an air tight container or bag. We have found it usually will last longer too as long as it’s not sitting out exposed to air when not in use. We prefer to store in a Ziploc bag since it is easy to press out all of the air from the bag.
Here are a few more of our favorite slime recipes:
Slime Safety & Precautions
Note: Making slime is a science experiment and safety precautions should still be made when creating slime. By making this slime, you agree to our site terms which you can read here.
- Adults should handle any chemicals and products
- Adults should make the slime
- Always read and follow the labels of products used. If contact lens solution is accidentally ingested, seek medical attention immediately.
- This project is not suitable for children under 4.
- Slime should not be placed in the mouth. Always wash hands before and after playing with the slime.
- If you notice any skin irritation, discontinue use immediately. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves while making and playing with the slime.
- Slime is a science experiment and should be made and played with in moderation. Do not allow children to make their own slime and do not play with slime for an extended period of time.
More Slime Recipes
Have you tried fluffy slime yet? This is fun to make and the texture is actually “fluffy”!
See our Unicorn Slime Recipe – one of our most popular slime recipes!
And see our unicorn floam recipe – easy to make and fun crunchy slime!
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