Celebrate the last days of summer and the last Sustainable Summer Challenge with a colourful, creative project!
Do you have any leftover bits of sidewalk chalk that are too small to write with? With this challenge, you’ll give them new life by turning them into an upcycled sidewalk paint.
It’s safe for kiddos and fine for our planet if you clean it up correctly. More on that below.
You can use the paint to decorate your sidewalk, write uplifting messages to encourage people passing by or even create a cool customized “first day of school” photo op.
You’ll need the following supplies:
· Bits of sidewalk chalk
· A reusable zipper bag
· A rolling pin or hammer
· Water
· Cornstarch
· An old muffin tin
· A paintbrush
If you’re missing some of the supplies, your local MCC Thrift shop is a great place to look!
Instructions:
1. Start by sorting the chalk bits into piles by color. Or, if you’re feeling extra creative, you could try mixing colors (like putting red and yellow together to make orange).
2. Take all of one color and put in into the zipper bag. Use a rolling pin or hammer to crush the pieces into a powder.
3. Mix two tablespoons water, two tablespoons cornstarch and one tablespoon of the crushed chalk together in one section of the muffin tin.
4. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. If it’s too thin, add a little more cornstarch.
5. Repeat steps two and three with the other colors.
6. Now you have a colorful palette of chalk paint to get creative with!
7. Once you no longer want to enjoy your designs, carefully sweep them up and dispose of the chalk. According to experts, this is better than rinsing the chalk down the storm drain, as we don’t want it to end up in our water system.
Note: You may want to test a small sample of paint first to ensure it comes off your sidewalk easily. It should be fine in most cases, but brand-new concrete is more porous and may retain some color even after the paint is washed off.
Enjoy your painting! And make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you can stay up to date with all things MCC Thrift!
Thank you for joining us for this challenge!