Supplies

Rye and Indigo are based in the United States, so the majority of suppliers listed here are US based. Most of the things in pigments and tools can be substituted with your local equivalents. If you’re looking for alternate chemical suppliers, try to obtain a spec sheet or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to verify that the chemicals are really what you’re looking for and are safe to use for skin contact and/or immersion.

Chemicals

Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) – This type of classic gunge comes in many different types. Our current favorite type of HEC is Tylose, which can be acquired from makeyourown.buzz or chemistrystore.com (if they ever restock). Note that these supplies use different grades of Tylose (HS 100000 vs HS 60000) and have slightly different effects. If you’re looking to pick up Natrosol instead, you can also go to makeyourown.buzz (this is Natrosol HHR 250). If you live in the UK or don’t mind steep shipping costs, you can visit messysupplies.com for a wide range of HEC grades and other chemicals.

PVA Glue – The exact type doesn’t really matter, all-purpose or school glue is fine, you may be able to find some at a big box store but if you want to order it you can get it from Amazon or really any school supply store

Guar Gum – A lot of grocery stores sell guar gum in either the health food section or the baking section, or you can order it.

Polyacrylamide Slime – This is the only place I can find it currently, please send me a message if you have a better supplier:

Super Absorbent Polymer, Sodium Polyacrylate – As much as I hate Amazon for everything, this has been the most consistent supplier for me. I did get some off of a seller on ebay once, it smelled a little weird when activated, like chlorine.

Pigments

Black Paint – This is the best black paint I have found for messes, it stays black and doesn’t turn purple like a lot of the other I have tried. Any washable or tempura paint should work. Keep in mind just because it says washable doesn’t mean it won’t stain It also smells kind of nice… like flowers?

Acrylic and Tempera Paint – Dick Blick has a wide range of vibrant colors with reasonable prices. For acrylic paint, you’ll want to take a look at the Blickrylic student acrylic paints. For tempera paint, you’ll want to look at either the tempera essentials or premium tempera lines. Both of these paint types have the potential to stain clothing, and both are safe to use on skin. Tempera mixes a bit better but the acrylics sometimes have better colors. Any type of tempera or similar-grade acrylic should be fine. Indigo uses about 1/4 of a pint per 10L bucket.

Powder Pigment – Most of the glow and powder pigments I buy come from the below, keep in mind anything with mica or glitter may make your latex sparkle forever: https://www.makeyourown.buzz/colors-fragrances/colors/

Tools

Large Immersion Blender – If you want to mix in 5 gallon buckets you are going to need a commercial blender. I recommend something with at least a 400mm (~15in) shaft; there are versions that have a variable speed control which is really nice if you are mixing different substances and require more control. This site has a lot of different types if you want something smaller.

Drill + Paint Mixing Attachment – Alternately, if you have a drill lying around and don’t want to buy another blender, you can turn your drill into a blender for about $11 by using a paint mixing attachment, such as this one: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Warner-Warner-5-Gallon-Steel-Paint-Mixer/5001941423

Containers, Tubs, Pools – Any inflatable pool works really. Indigo is fond of this one, which is a good size for up to three people. If you want something deeper, an inflatable bathtub might be for you. Other options include stock tanks. Rye loves the play sheet from Mr S.

5 Gallon Buckets – It really does not matter, Home Depot is a good place if you don’t might the orange ones, you can order them if you want black, Walmart sells white ones. If you are picking up used ones make sure they didn’t hold anything toxic.

Bucket with Graduations – There are a lot of options for these, I find them useful for mixing because it is an easy way to measure the amount of water.

Tarps and Dust Sheets – If you’re using a tarp to protect your floors or walls, first measure your space and then select a tarp that fits the space. Indigo recommends getting a mid-quality tarp, the really cheap ones tend to be too thin and eventually start to flake. For dust sheets, lightweight drop cloths (0.5 – 0.7 mil) are good for surfaces that won’t be walked on. You’ll want tougher drop cloths for surfaces that will be walked on or if you’re lining a pool, 2 mil or higher is what you want. For sessions with three or more people and more than 100L of slime, Indigo uses 3 mil plastic sheeting (Rye uses 5-10mil). To secure dust sheets and tarps to your wall, painter’s tape should be sufficient. It’s possible to use painter’s tape to secure tarps to your floor or to line your pool, but it can be a weak hold (Indigo uses it for solo sessions). For a tougher hold, you can use duct tape or gaffer’s tape. Rye likes to use packing tape because he found it binds better to PVC.

Scrapers and squeegees – While a credit card or gift card can work really well getting the goo off of you or your friends, I have found that horse sweat scrapers work much better, you can find them at any farm store or order them.