Homemade sidewalk chalk
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Plaster of Paris and tempera paint poured into paper-lined cardboard tubes and left to set into chunky chalk.
What You’ll Need
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons tempera paint (per color)
- 1 cup Plaster of Paris
- Plastic zipper bag
- Toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls (cut in thirds)
- Parchment paper cut into 7-inch squares
- Duct tape
- Plastic tray or art mat
- Optional: flexible silicone molds
Equipment
- zip-top bags
- scissors
Directions
- Cover your work surface, because this gets messy.
- Line each cardboard tube with a square of parchment rolled up, and tape one end shut with duct tape.
- Open the zipper bag like a bowl; add ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons tempera paint and mix. Add 1 cup Plaster of Paris, close the bag, and knead into a paste.
- Cut off a corner of the bag and squeeze the paste into a tube. Tap the tube on the table to release air bubbles. Do the same for the other colors, or fill silicone molds.
- Leave to set for a few hours or overnight.
- Remove the tape, then the cardboard, then the parchment.
- Use right away, or first let it dry completely for 1-3 days.
Notes
Safety: NOT edible. Adult measures and mixes the dry plaster: don’t breathe the dust (a mask helps), and never put plaster down the drain; throw extra in the trash. Plaster gets warm as it sets; never cast hands or fingers in it. Older kids (about 6+) can knead the sealed bag with supervision.