Making Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Martha Stewarts Kid's Crafts
Rachel Woodham has worked as an editor for a number of magazines since graduating with a degree in journalism. Now, a full-time mom and wife, Rachel spends her days as a finger-painter extraordinaire, impromptu casserole maker and toy re-constructor.
When life gives her a breather, Rachel works with the great team of people over at Martha Stewarts, where you can find out everything from how to prepare the perfect Summer Corn to the perfect
crafts for kids.
While traditional sidewalk chalk definitely had its time in the spot light, innovation has given birth to several new ways for children to enjoy this same activity only with a new twist. Instead of struggling with those ever-breaking sticks try your hand at this great recipe for sidewalk chalk paint! While you can of course head on down to your local craft store and spend $15 (roughly £10) or more on a name brand variety, creating your own takes no more than a few minutes and a lot less money.
I’ve personally used this recipe several times over the years and each time, my children and their friends continue to surprise me with some of the creative and colorful creations that they paint out on the sidewalk and driveway. If you’re worried about mess don’t be!
This recipe of sidewalk chalk paint washes off with a quick splash of water, a hose or a good rainstorm. So drop what you’re doing, round up some ingredients and let’s get started.
To begin you will need to locate the following items:
Several small bowls (cheap Tupperware works great as do cupcake tins)
¼ a cup of regular old cornstarch (no need for anything fancy)
¼ a cup of cold water
A box of food coloring
Several inexpensive brushes
Instructions:
Step 1. First thing you will want to do is place the cornstarch in the bowls, Tupperware or cupcake tin. Once each bowl of tin has the appropriate amount of cornstarch in it, proceed to slowly stir in the cold water.
Step 2. As you begin to stir this water into the corn starch, the water will begin to thicken. A good rule of thumb for thickness is a consistency that isn’t quite as thick as paint but more viscous than water. Chalk paint that is too thin won’t adhere to the sidewalk while chalk paint that is too thick has a difficult time being manipulated by little hands.
Step 3. After you feel you have achieved the perfect level of thickness, go ahead and add in a little bit of food coloring to the mixture. Begin by adding about 4 drops for a lighter, color and about 6 or 7 a bolder tone.
Once you have completed the first color, repeat the process for the remaining bowls, choosing a good color palette for your children to experiment with.
Step 4. Upon mixing all of the colors, you will want to place a brush in each container and remind the painters to use one brush for one color as to avoid any blending and unsightly color combinations.
Step 5. Now, you are free to make your masterpieces. I like to give a little direction to my kids when we start painting, I found that without a little prompt, the painting can quickly devolve into a hodge-podge of color and lines. Instead, suggest drawing their favorite fruit, animal or a picture of themselves.
When your artwork is complete, snap a picture show your DIY Rembrandts and Picassos off on your social media.
Sidewalk chalk paint made this way can be saved for quite a while, just make sure to quickly stir the mixture before using it again!
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