1.) Pour 16 oz. of water into the water bottle.
2.) Add 2 Tablespoons of Borax to the water in the bottle. Shake the bottle until most of the Borax dissolves and some Borax settles to the bottom. This is called a saturated solution.
3.) Pour 5 teaspoons of glue into the 5 oz. plastic cup. Try to get all the glue into the cup for accurate measurement. (I measure 5 tsp of water into a cup, mark the line at the water level, then pour the water out and measure glue to that line.)
4.) Pour 4 teaspoons of water into the glue and mix it up with the craft stick.
NOTE: The proportion of glue to water is important for the best results. You may pre-mix 5 parts glue with 4 parts water ahead of time (i.e. 1000 mL glue with 800 mL water in a 2 liter bottle), mix well, and use about 35 mL (7 tsp.) per batch.
5.) Add 3 drops of food coloring to the glue and water mixture. Mix well with the craft stick. You may add 1/8 tsp. of glow-in-the-dark pigment now, if you wish.
6.) Add 3 teaspoons of the Borax solution to the glue and water mixture. Mix well with the craft stick and watch what happens! NOTE: if your Phunny Putty is too sticky, add a little more Borax solution until it forms a ball.
7.) When your Phunny Putty starts to stick together, pull it off the craft stick and roll it between your hands to form a ball. It becomes less sloppy as you play with it.
8.) Keep your Phunny Putty in the plastic bag and it will be fun to play with for a long time!
CAUTION: Phunny Putty will stick to paper and fabric and you wont have as much to play with!
Chemistry Explanation:
Elmers Glue contains polyvinyl alcohol, a polymer whose molecules are cross-linked to form an extended network. The cross-linking agent is the tetraborate ion, B(OH)4-1. This ion is formed when the borax, sodium tetraborate, is hydrolyzed (broken-up) in water forming a mixture of boric acid and tetraborate ions. The result is a gel which is similar to Silly Putty®.
