What You’ll Need for Each Chalk Stick
- ¾ cup powdered plaster
- ¼ cup water
- One 4½-inch-long cardboard tube
- Waxed paper
- Medium-size mixing bowl
- Spoon
- Liquid tempera paint (in your choice of colors)
1. Mix together the powdered plaster with the water until the mixture is about as thick as toothpaste. (If it seems too runny, add 1 tablespoon of plaster at a time, until it’s thick enough. If it seems too thick, add a small amount of water.)
2. Set the cardboard tube upright on a piece of waxed paper. Spoon the mixture into the cardboard tube. Try to pop or push down any bubbles you see.
3. Let the filled tube rest upright on the waxed paper for three to four hours until the chalk has “set.” Then peel off the damp cardboard.
4. Let the chalk dry completely for 24 hours.
1. Add liquid tempera paint to the mixture above after you add the water. (Use as much as you need to get the color you want.)
2. Follow directions from step 2 on.
Head for the nearest smooth sidewalk or your driveway with homemade chalk in hand. Better yet, ask your parents to buy some special chalkboard paint at the store and, with their permission, use it to turn a wall of your bedroom, playroom, or the family message area into a chalkboard. Then you can write on the walls—without a care—any time.