It’s SO EASY to make this super cool sidewalk chalk paint! Mix together 3 simple kitchen ingredients to create this fun alternative to sidewalk chalk.
Make your own non-toxic, washable chalk paint to keep the kids entertained outside all afternoon. This fun and creative outdoor art activity is the perfect craft for summer!
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission which helps us run this website.
How to Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint
Materials:
- 1 cup Cornstarch
- 1 cup Water
- Food colouring
Equipment:
- 5 Plastic cups (1 cup per colour of paint)
- Popsicle sticks (or spoon, for mixing paint)
Check Out The Video Tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Mix the sidewalk chalk paint base
- Add the cornstarch and water to a mixing bowl.
- Stir the mixture well, making sure there aren't any clumps.
Step 2: Divide the mixture and add colour
- Pour the paint base into separate cups, dividing it equally. (5 cups will make 5 different colours.)
- Add 5 - 7 drops of food colouring to each cup. Lighter colours, like yellow, may require more food colouring.
- Stir the colour into the mixture using a popsicle stick or a spoon.
Step 3: Enjoy painting with the sidewalk chalk paint
- Your sidewalk chalk paint is ready!Make sure the paint is well stirred, and dip your paintbrush into the sidewalk chalk paint.
- Paint outside on the sidewalk or driveway. You may need to go over an area a couple of times to create the shape or colour you want.
- Rinse off your brush in water between colours, or use a different brush for each colour.
- Choose a different colour and repeat the process, dipping your brush in the paint and spreading it across the pavement.
- Wait for your paintings to dry. The sidewalk chalk paint dries to look like chalk, with deeper, more vibrant colours.Have fun and enjoy your chalk masterpiece!
Helpful Tips:
- Make sure the colours in the cup are bright and vivid. Otherwise, the chalk paint will dry looking very pale and pastel.
- Because the paint has a watery consistency it might take a couple brush strokes to get the colour or shape you’re looking for.
- The water and cornstarch in the paint separate fairly quickly. Simply stir the paint with the paintbrush before you paint to mix them back together.
Does sidewalk chalk paint wash off?
Yes, the sidewalk chalk paint should easily wash off both sidewalks and hands. Soap and water should remove most of the paint from your hands. If you used a lot of food colouring to make deep colours, it may take a day or two for darker colours to completely disappear.
The paint should come off sidewalks with heavy rain, or you can use water from a bucket or garden hose. If your pavement is particularly porous or light coloured you may want to test a small area first to make sure it comes off easily. If not, try a scrub brush and biodegradable soap.
What container should I use for the sidewalk chalk paint?
We used plastic cups, which worked well to divide and mix the paint. You can also use recycled containers, like old yogurt containers, pudding cups, small margarine tubs, or sour cream containers.
The only issue with lighter plastic containers is that they can easily be knocked over by the wind. If it’s a windy day you may want to use something heavier, like a muffin tray. It won’t get knocked over as easily, and it’s good for mixing a bunch of different colours at once!
How long does sidewalk chalk paint last?
We found the paint to be best on the first day, though you can definitely stir it up and use it again the next day. If it’s a bit dried up, add a small amount of water and stir. After the second day we suggest throwing it away and making new paint.
What types of paint brushes are best?
We used large paintbrushes, meant for kids, but you can also use a foam brush or a sponge. If you don’t want to use a brush you can also put the chalk paint into a squeeze bottle.
Create vibrant and colourful art with this biodegradable and taste safe sidewalk chalk paint! It’s such a fun, easy, and inexpensive craft.
Use the paint to draw a hopscotch board or an obstacle course. Write names or other words, create shapes (like hearts, stars, and rainbows), or make any drawing you want!
Here’s even more fun craft ideas:
Stained Glass Suncatcher Craft
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon |  Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound |  Amazon Canada
Let us know what you think: