Guest Post: DIY Sidewalk Chalk

Hello everyone!

Special thanks to Megan for letting me write this blog post for you all. It’s not only about making chalk, but about incorporating art into your everyday life. Because, I’ve learned, that doing your artistic pursuit, your passion, is the very essence of living well. As in, living for you, and excelling at that whole soul growth thing. How do I know this?

Because, about two weeks ago, my brother died. And yes, it was very, very unexpected. And as we all gathered, his family and friends, at Fort Cronkhite in Northern California, to say goodbye in the traditional surfer/Hawaiian style, everyone remembered him for the things that he loved, enveloped, and delved in.

The daily drudgery didn’t matter: the surfing, the fly fishing, the moments of connection… that’s what life’s about. And, when you do your work, your real work, your life feels better. Lifted. Fifteen minutes of following your real work makes up for a day of drudgery. Your soul feels lighter.

That’s why I incorporate crafting into my life, even as a nursing student. Because if not, then I wouldn’t be fulfilled. So, it was with particular awesome joy that one of our school projects involved teaching the class something, and one of the students taught us how to make chalk!

As an aside, I taught the class how to train their pet rats, which really only applied to me, but everyone liked the cute pictures of rats doing cute things.

Chalk is probably one of the easiest things to make other than, oh, maybe bubbles. And the secret ingredient made it even better: Kool Aid.

Oh man, just add some Kool Aid and your chalk will smell like fake cherries, blue (?), lime, and all sorts of deep, modern and wonderful/atomic flavors. You’ll also get some nice, deep colors. Here’s how you do it:

Plaster

Water

Kool Aid

Silicon Molds

paper bowls

disposable spoons

To make another batch, for this blog, I incorporated my nieces, thinking they’d “enjoy” it as much as I did, teaching me that sometimes adults like this stuff way more than kids. Also, I didn’t get Kool Aid (we had it in class, though) and got this cheap stuff at the dollar store that was so not the same. Learn from me: get the real thing.(Oxymoron?)

Now, get your Plaster of Paris powder and add about a cup and a half of it to a nice and round paper bowl. Good? Great. Now it’s time to add some water. About three-fourth’s of a cup will do. Perfect. Geez, you’re so good at this! Now, like I didn’t the second time, add the real Kool Aid for some nice color. OK! Pour into your molds! Quick! Now wait about a day, then pop them out of their molds and voila. And if you’re me, place them on a pretty plate and think about wedding favors. Wouldn’t they be wonderful?

So pretty.

Summer might be closing but the long days still surround us, and sidewalk chalk is always a fun one with loved ones. Make some, make goofy pictures, and enjoy that little thing we call life.