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Fourth of July Craft: Sidewalk Chalk Stars
Published 06.18.2009 | Permanent Link | Comments (15)
By Ellen Luckett Baker
Feeling patriotic this year? This Independence Day celebrate our freedom from those British tyrants with some sidewalk chalk!
The fourth of July is always a nice time to be outdoors with friends and family. This is a simple summer project with many possibilities for kids of all ages. We made our chalk with a star-shaped candy mold, but you could make chalk in any shape or color. I think that these would make nice little party favors. My six-year-old pointed out that it might be easier to buy sidewalk chalk at the store -- but with a large container of Plaster of Paris for $5, a mold for $1.99 and paint we had on hand, I think this is a pretty economical project. You could start a chalk factory!
WHAT YOU NEED:
-Plaster of Paris (available at art supply or craft stores)*
-Tempera or acrylic paint
-Plastic or silicone mold
-Containers for mixing
-Mixing utensil (disposable fork or chopstick)
-Water
* I would advise parents to mix the ingredients for this project when the kids aren't around. Please be sure to read and follow the safety precautions for this or any product recommended here.
HOW TO MIX IT:
1. Mix two parts plaster mix to one part liquid. Since I used regular paint (rather than a powdered mixture), I mixed two heaping tablespoons of plaster mix with one level tablespoon of paint then added a dash of water as needed.
2. Stir until all the lumps are gone and your mixture is the consistency of toothpaste.
3. Spoon the mixture into the molds and wipe the edges clean. Tap the mold and poke out any air bubbles that you can see from the bottom.
4. Allow the mixture to dry for several hours, possibly 24-48 hours if using larger molds. Be sure to clean your containers at an outside faucet as you don't want chalk in your pipes!
5. Turn your mold over and gently tap it to release the chalk. Scrape off any messy edges. Go draw on the sidewalk!
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About this column
This is a year-round Holiday column. Kids love Holidays. As parents we have come to appreciate how Holidays seem to help structure our lives. Plus, any excuse to have fun sounds good to us!
We'll admit it, now that we're parents, we secretly look for Holidays to celebrate and between National, Secular, Unofficial and Bizarre Holidays, we think there are enough days out there to keep us inspired every week.
This column will be a place where you can get inspiration for how to enjoy time with your kids. Crafting projects and ideas will be posted on Thursdays by our brilliant contributors (see below). Other fun ideas will be posted here throughout the week as the inspiration hits us!
About our Craft Contributors
Ellen Luckett Baker is the author of the long thread, a blog about handmade goods. She has always enjoyed making things, but the flexibility of staying at home with her two daughters along with the creative inspiration they provide has led her to craft on a daily basis. Combining her love of graphic design and sewing, she has created an Etsy shop selling machine embroidery designs and sewing patterns.
Ellen lives in Atlanta with her husband and two young daughters. She holds a B.A. in Art History and a Master's of Public Administration with a focus in Non-Profit Management.
Cindy Hopper was fortunate to be raised in a family who appreciated the arts. This background led to a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education. With a keen eye for design and color, Cindy has continued her love of art and is now passing her creative skills on to her three children. Cindy's family and friends are the beneficiaries of her passion for fun and meaningful creative projects. Cindy's personal blog, Skip to My Lou, has taken her love of a project to new levels. Postings keep the family busy -– from testing new recipes for holiday treats to designing and building floats for a neighborhood parade to making fabric rolls to hold crayons to creating themed parties. Cindy seems to have an unending supply of ideas for gifts, parties and rainy days.
Marie LeBaron is a 30 something stay at home mom in Utah. Before life as a mother, she graduated with a teaching degree in Early Childhood & Elementary Education, after which she taught four years of Kindergarten. After her first child was born, she decided to read books and sing silly songs at home. She misses the classroom, but she now gets to bring the fun and learning into her home and ours. You’ll see her kids a lot in these projects as they are her guinea pigs and for whom she's creative. You can follow more of her projects at her personal blog Make and Takes.
Brenda Ponnay is a stealthy secret agent who juggles parenthood to her adorable daughter by day and freelance graphic design by night. Whether it's painting, baking, drawing, making castles out of card board boxes or just doing the laundry with flair, Brenda Ponnay has finally discovered (at the ripe old age of thirty-six) that what really makes her happy is being creative every single day.
Brenda lives in Southern California with her husband, daughter, three cats and thirty-seven pet birds. You can read about all her crazy adventures on her personal blog: Secret Agent Josephine.
Disclaimer
This column is only for entertainment purposes. Any recommendations or information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for advice by a trained professional. For a full statement of our site policies, please click here.
Comments (15):
Beth said:
What a fun summer project! I love them!
Posted on June 18, 2009 10:51
Leslie said:
Wow I didn't know you could make your own chalk!!! Neato.
Posted on June 18, 2009 11:37
Amalah said:
This. Is. Awesome. We are SO doing this.
Posted on June 18, 2009 14:47
Traci said:
These look fantastic. I have tons of those silicone molds that are hearts and other shapes. I am ready to try this one.
Posted on June 18, 2009 22:18
kirsten Schueler said:
oh, if only we didn't have a massive set of chalk that needs to get used up first! this is a fabulous idea and i love that star mold!
Posted on June 20, 2009 08:22
Heather said:
I love your blog and read it regularly. I was very excited to try this project. However, when I purchased Plaster of Paris, I found the warnings state this product contains cancer causing chemicals. This project is not acceptable for children to make or use. After a bit of searching, it appears that there is a similar product specifically for Hobby and Crafts. Hopefully, that product will be suitable for children.
_______________
Editor: Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. We are adding the following disclaimer to the body of the post right now:
I would advise parents to mix the ingredients for this project when the kids aren't around. Please be sure to read and follow the safety precautions for this or any product recommended here.
Posted on June 20, 2009 17:40
Rachel said:
These are fantastic! What a wonderful party favor. Thanks so much for the idea, I'll be linking.
Posted on June 22, 2009 13:23
TwoHeartsTogether said:
Thanks for the neat tutorial! I posted this "recipe" on my craft blog www.twoheartstogether.com my visitors love the idea! Thanks for sharing :]
~Samantha
Posted on June 24, 2009 14:13
Melissa said:
What an awesome idea-- and I love the chalks, too. I'm adding this blog to my daily reads!
Posted on June 25, 2009 12:27
Heather said:
What a fantastic idea--these will be the BEST party favors for all the little ones!
Posted on June 25, 2009 16:45
the inadvertent farmer said:
Totally cool! We are having a big get together for the 4th with lots of kiddos and I trying to come up with some great party favors....thanks, this is it! My kids will have fun making them for all their friends, Kim
Posted on June 26, 2009 21:02
the inadvertent farmer said:
Just adding another 'must do' to my list for the 4th...hmmm now to figure out if I possibly have time for everything on that list! Kim
Posted on June 26, 2009 21:06
Lenetta @ Nettacow said:
I don't have the star molds, but I bet I could figure something else out. I linked to it in my weekly roundup (link to the post is under my name). Thanks for the recipe!
Posted on June 28, 2009 12:22
spyra said:
If the mixture contains chemicals that aren't good for your children, chances are it's not good for the environment either. What happens to the "chalk" after you're done drawing and it rains? Think about your children when the same chemicals leech back into the ground that they play on. I hope, for the sake of our children's futures, that we are all conscious enough to use biodegradable materials.
Posted on July 1, 2009 19:59
Ellen Baker said:
This comment is from Ellen Baker, the author of the post:
The three ingredients in Plaster of Paris are calcium sulfate hemihydrate, calcium carbonate and crystalline silica.
Calcium sulfate is composed mostly of natural minerals (gypsum and anhydrite) and is used in food as a coagulent. This is the main ingredient in most chalk. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_sulfate
Calcium carbonate is found in rocks and is the basis for sea shells. It is used as a calcium dietary supplement and also found in antacids. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_carbonate
Crystalline Silica is derived from sand or quartz and is used in concrete, cosmetics, food and other applications. Read safety information here: http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf
Here is a link to the material safety data sheet if you'd like more information:
http://www.dap.com/docs/msds/00079010_english.pdf
Here's one more article about inhaling chalk dust:
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-chalk-dust-harmful.htm
Posted on July 2, 2009 10:40