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My niece Lucy is visiting my home in Florida for the first time! In honor of her arrival, we decided to have a barbeque and invite all the neighborhood kids to play with my homemade chalk— one stick to play with and one to take home!
Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
Idea from CheeriosandLattes.com
Makes Approximately 10 pieces of chalk• Plaster of paris (4 or 5 pound package)
• Water
• Tempura washable paint (red, blue, and yellow)
• Toilet paper rolls or craft tubes
• 3 plastic containers (I threw mine away after)
• 3 plastic spoons
• ¼ metal or plastic measuring cup
• Masking or scotch Tape
• Scissors
• 10 cups or glassesI started by clearing my workspace and covering with newspaper. The first step is to create a mold for your chalk with the craft tubes. Cut an inch into the end of your craft tube, and continue clipping the same depth all the way around one open end. Then fold each flap on top of each other until the opening is closed, or nearly closed, and tape it shut. A small opening in the cardboard is not a big deal— just tape over that part well.
Arrange the plastic containers, one spoon in each. I suggest working in small batches. Start with a half a cup of plaster in each container. Add half a cup of water and stir with each designated spoon. Stir really well, I found that even when I thought I had it all mixed, I still saw white at the bottom of the container. The amount of paint you add for color is completely up to you. For pastel colors I added about a ¼ cup of paint to each. Once you add the paint, the plaster becomes noticeably thicker. You may need to add water to achieve a slightly thicker than pancake-batter texture; add only a teaspoon at a time.
For the final step, take a spoonful out of your first color, and dollop the colored plaster into each prepared craft tube. Be sure to give the tube a good shake, so the plaster settles well into the mold. I played with the dollops and alternated the colors, to create layered chalk.
Allow the chalk to dry standing, taped end down, in a cup or glass for about a week. Half way through your dry time, unwrap the chalk and let it dry out completely. The humidity in Florida is so pervasive, it took my chalk took a bit longer, about 9 days in full. Do consider that when planning for an event, like I was.
I’m so pleased with how the chalk turned out for my niece Lucy’s summer party. I ordered a Dreaming Daisies style label with my favorite current photo of little Lucy. I wrapped pair of chalk with butcher paper, added the photo label, and gave to each of our guests— to be enjoyed right away outside while we barbeque!
Used In This Project:
- Large Labels • I chose the “Dreaming Daisies” style in Green Tea and uploaded my own photo.
More homemade gift ideas from Zoe:
Homemade Super Bubbles Candy Sushi Bird Nest Treats Cheese Crackers
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Zoe is born and bred in Portland, Oregon and recently moved to Orlando, Florida. She studied sociology and philosophy at University of Oregon, and is currently employed at a law firm. Presently, she devotes her time to being lost in the tropical vegetation of her backyard, sun-scorched bike rides, repurposing everything she can think of, quirky cooking, and promoting the creative lifestyle that she loves.
Great article.