Learn how to make this easy rolling slime lab for your kids to store all their slime-making supplies and ingredients.
I recently worked with a client who was nine years old. I was organizing her playroom and she had very specific instructions for me: a way to keep her 2 y/o brother out of her American Girl Doll stuff, a place to make crafts, and a slime lab. Now, I can organize a playroom all day every day, and even find sneaky ways to block off a dollhouse neighborhood from a curious toddler. And I sure can create a craft space. But a slime lab is something I’ve never worked with before.
After talking with her mom and touring her current slime creation space, I realized that she doesn’t actually make her slime in the same place all the time. Sometimes she makes her concoctions at the table in the playroom, other times at the dining room table, and sometimes in random places in the house. I could just imagine this girl lugging around all her heavy tubs of glue, supplies, and mounds of glitter (and cringe as I think about what would happen if she dropped it) so I decided the best way to store all her slime was to make it mobile. Here’s how I turned a basic three-tier cart into a rolling slime lab all her friends will be jealous of.
Supplies You Need For A Rolling Slime Lab
- Three Tier Cart (I used this one from Walmart)
- Divider Containers (Miscellaneous small bins from Walmart)
- Glass Jars and other storage containers
- Cricut Maker or Explore Air 2
- Cricut Removable Premium Vinyl in Bright Green
- Cricut Removable Premium Vinyl in Black
- Cricut Transfer Tape
- Standard Grip Mat (the green one) x2
- Weeding Tool
- TrueControl Knife (or scissors)
What If I don’t have a Cricut Machine?
If you don’t have a Cricut machine to make the vinyl decals, don’t click away yet! You can pull off this same look with paint, paint pens, or even stickers from the craft store. Just skip the Cricut tutorial, freehand some drippy slime, write your kiddo’s name, then move on to the next section of this post where I show you how to fill the cart up. 🙂
How To Make Slime Decals For Kid’s Rolling Slime Lab
- Open this template I created in Design Space.
- Change the name in the Design Space template to your child’s name.
- Prepare two Cricut machine mats (standard or light grip both work fine) with green and black vinyl.
- Let the machine do its thing while you assemble the rolling cart.
- Trim your cuts with the TrueControl knife, then weed the excess vinyl.
- Prepare your vinyl words with transfer tape (the slime pieces don’t need transfer tape).
Applying The Slime Decals Onto The Cart
1. Apply the black words first onto the top tier of the rolling cart using transfer tape.
2. Apply the green words over the black words using transfer tape, slightly at an angle to create the look of a shadow (this really makes the green pop and highlights your kiddo’s name).
3. Apply the two slime decals by hand, positioning them at the very top of each shelf.
How To Fill The Rolling Slime Lab Cart
You can fill the cart however you’d like, but the best way is to start at the top and work your way down. The top shelf should hold the things your child uses the most. I definitely recommend having them help you out with this step, unless you’re a slime pro, too.
For my client, I filled the top shelf with her large collection of glues and some baking soda. Truth be told, she had way more glue than this. I added one of each color in the top shelf of the cart, and stored the rest in her art cabinet as back stock. Depending on your own kid’s stash, you may need to do the same.
The middle shelf should hold all the embellishments, add-ins, and specialty ingredients your child uses during slime creation. And the bottom shelf held all the mixing bowls, measuring spoons, stirring sticks, zip-top bags, and empty storage containers.
Again, I knew nothing about slime-making when I was setting this up…I found a book the little girl had that was basically Slime 101. You better believe I was referencing this kid’s book as I was filling the cart. I didn’t want to ask her because I wanted it to be a surprise. But I’m pretty sure she probably rearranged it as soon as I left her house as she scoffed at my very incorrect placement and labeling. 🙂 That Lela, what a dweeb…
What’s Up With The Slime Trend?
After I made this cart, before I took it to the client’s house, I asked my 13 year old son if it looked ok. Gotta get the kiddo’s approval before I go trying to surprise a little girl with something some old lady thought was cool. He gave it the green checkmark so I loaded it up in my car.
As I was walking out, I asked him what’s up with this slime trend anyway. He’s never been into it, but I thought maybe he’d have the deets from some of his friends. Turns out, slime is super popular with girls, and you won’t believe what he told me next…
The girls at his school are making slime and selling it for $2 a bag to other kids at school! Talk about entrepreneurship! Pretty sure it costs maybe 25 cents to make a snack-sized Zip Lock bag of goo, and the fact that they’re selling it to other kids for 2 buckaroonies is crazy-impressive.
I asked why other kids would buy something they could make themselves, and I was told “not every parent is cool enough to let their kids make slime.” Was that a dig? I don’t think that was a dig… Was that a dig?? So now I want to know, are you a cool parent that lets your kid or grandkid make slime? And do you think they’re running an underground slime-peddling biz? I need your stories!
