Chalk is easy to make and requires only a few simple ingredients. You can make ordinary chalk. However, since you'll probably be using it outdoors, you can also have fun with liquid chalk. There are several variations of lime you can try.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Making a Tube Mold for Chalk
Step 1. Collect 3-6 toilet paper tubes
You can use a paper towel tube, but you will need to cut it in half.
Step 2. Cover one end of the tube with duct tape
Use enough duct tape so that there are no holes. If there are still holes, the lime mixture will leak through the holes.
Step 3. Cover the walls in the tube with wax paper
Cut the paper into squares measuring 15 x 15 centimeters. After that, roll the paper into a cylinder and put it in each toilet paper tube. Expand the diameter of the paper cylinder until it is the same size as the tissue tube cylinder. Make sure the top of the paper is sticking out of the tube opening. Wax paper serves to protect the cardboard tube from the lime mixture.
Method 2 of 5: Making Chalk
Step 1. Mix 60 ml of warm water with 50 grams of gypsum in a small bowl or large cup
Mix the two ingredients with a plastic spoon until thick. Make sure there are no lumps of material remaining.
The gypsum will harden in 20-30 minutes so you need to do the lime making quickly
Step 2. Add 2-3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) of tempera paint
The more paint you use, the sharper the chalk color will be. The less paint you use, the brighter the chalk will be. Make sure there are no streaks of paint remaining on the mixture. Mixed colors should be even.
- If you want to make chalk of a different color, separate the gypsum mixture into 2-3 small cups. Add about 1 tablespoon of paint to each cup.
- For more creative results, use a glow-in-the-dark or fluorescent paint instead of regular tempera paint. Glow in the dark paint makes the chalk glow at night. Meanwhile, fluorescent paint makes chalk glow when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Step 3. Transfer the mixture into the mold once it has thickened
You can use any container as a mold to hold the mixture without leaking. For example, you can use a regular ice mold, or an ice mold with interesting shapes such as stars or fish. You can also use a toilet paper tube. Click here to find out how to make chalk molds from toilet paper tubes.
- If you're using an ice mold, make sure you wipe up any spills or drips with a damp paper towel before the mixture dries.
- If you are making a mold from a toilet paper tube, place the tube on a baking sheet with the duct-covered end down. Carefully transfer the lime mixture into each jar. Gently flick the tube wall with your index finger to lift any trapped air bubbles to the surface of the mixture.
Step 4. Let the chalk dry
The drying process takes 1-3 days, depending on the size of the mold. For example, chalk molded using a regular ice mold takes at least a day to dry. Meanwhile, lime made with toilet paper tubes takes a maximum of 3 days to dry.
Step 5. Remove the chalk from the mold and allow it to dry again
After the chalk is removed from the mold, the bottom may still be damp or wet. In this situation, place the chalk on a flat, dry surface, with the wet side facing up. This part will dry in an hour.
If you're using a toilet paper tube, remove the duct tape and turn the tube over so the bottom of the chalk can dry. After drying, open the tube and greaseproof paper covering the chalk
Method 3 of 5: Making Liquid Chalk
Step 1. Fill a muffin tin or a few press bottles with cornstarch
Pour the cornstarch into each mold or bottle until it is half filled. If there are lumps of starch, crush them with a fork or by shaking the bottle.
- Muffin molds serve as paint palettes. You need a brush to color the paint. Chalk like this is suitable for drawing paintings.
- A pressure bottle allows you to spray lime onto the floor or concrete. Chalk like this is perfect for creating random designs.
Step 2. Add a few drops of food coloring to each mold or bottle
The more dye you use, the sharper or darker the chalk will be. You can fill each mold or bottle with the same color. If desired, fill each mold or bottle with a different color.
To make flavored liquid lime, mix 1 packet of fruit flavored instant drink powder with 240 ml of water. Add this mixture to the corn starch in the next step. You don't need to add food coloring because the juice itself will already give the chalk its color
Step 3. Fill each mold or bottle with water
If you want to make flavorful liquid lime, pour the drink mixture into each mold or bottle.
- Use the same amount of water as corn starch.
- For a thicker paint, use water and cornstarch in a 1:1, 5 ratio.
Step 4. Mix corn starch with water until the consistency is even
If you are making melted lime in a muffin tin, use a fork to stir the ingredients. If you are making liquid lime in a pressure bottle, close the bottle tightly and shake. Make sure there are no lumps of material remaining. The lime color will be even after the mixture is finished stirring or shaking.
Step 5. Adjust the mix if necessary
If you want to use chalk for painting, a thicker mixture is easier to use. However, runny paint is easier to spray from a pressure bottle. If the mixture feels too runny, add more cornstarch. If the mixture is too thick, add more water. Make sure you stir or re-shuffle the cotton after adding the cornstarch or water.
Step 6. Use liquid chalk
Dip a brush into a muffin tin filled with liquid chalk and draw on the floor, pavement, or concrete. If you are using a pressure bottle, hold the bottle horizontally on the floor or pavement, then press the bottle to spray the chalk.
Method 4 of 5: Making Frozen Lime
Step 1. Create the base color in the bowl
Mix 120 ml of water with 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of temporary (water-removable) tempera paint. Stir the ingredients with a spoon until the color is even. Make sure there is no paint residue in the mixture.
For a sharper color, add more paint. Reduce the amount of paint for light or pastel colors
Step 2. Add 65 grams of corn starch to the mixture
Stir the ingredients until all the starch is dissolved. Make sure there are no lumps of starch remaining. At this stage, the mixture is already liquid, but more concentrated than ordinary paint.
Step 3. Pour the mixture into the ice mould
Carefully shake the mold with your hands to raise air bubbles to the surface of the chalk.
- If you want to be creative, use ice or candy molds with cute shapes, such as stars or fish.
- Alternatively, pour the melted lime into a popsicle mold. However, don't fill the mold with chalk. The mixture will expand and harden as it freezes. Insert the lid or mold stick into the chalk mixture to hold it in place.
Step 4. Freeze the lime
Carefully place the ice mold in the freezer. Make sure the mold is stored on a flat surface so that the top doesn't look bent. Leave the mold in the refrigerator until the lime freezes. The freezing process takes several hours.
Step 5. Remove the chalk from the ice mould, just as you would ice
Put the frozen lime in a bowl. If you're making chalk in several different colors, you can separate each piece of chalk by color. If you are using a popsicle mold, simply pull the "popsicle" from the mold.
Step 6. Play with ice chalk
You can draw using ice chalk, just like regular chalk. You can also simply lay chalk on the floor or sidewalk and let it melt into colorful puddles.
- Keep in mind that the ice melts during play, which can contaminate your hands, clothes or the play area.
- The chalk colors may appear dull or transparent at first. However, once the water dries, the chalk color will appear sharper.
Method 5 of 5: Making the Chalk “Explode”
Step 1. Mix 125 grams of corn starch with 240 ml of vinegar in a bowl
Stir the two ingredients until no powder remains.
Step 2. Pour the mixture into four sealed plastic bags
Try filling 1/3 of the bag with the mixture.
Step 3. Add 8-10 drops of food coloring to each bag
Use a different color for each bag. The more dye you add, the sharper or lighter the chalk color will be.
You can also use liquid watercolors. With this paint, the chalk can be cleaned more easily after you are done playing
Step 4. Close the bag tightly and mix the dye with the cornstarch and vinegar mixture
You can shake or press the bag to mix the ingredients. After that, the mixture should appear very thick. Make sure there are no lumps or unmixed paint residue.
When closing the bag, make sure that there is not much air left in it
Step 5. Try making a baking soda “bomb”
Some people like to add baking soda directly into a plastic bag filled with chalk. Meanwhile, others felt that it would be easier to make small bombs first. To make a baking soda bomb, follow these steps:
- Cut the paper towels into quarters. Once the towel is cut, you will get four small square pieces.
- Pour 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 grams) of baking soda into the center of each strip of paper.
- Fold the corners of the paper towels toward the center to form a wrap. Do not fold the towel too tightly so that the package will open on its own.
Step 6. Put the baking soda in each plastic bag and immediately close the bag again
Open each bag wide so you can easily put the baking soda inside. Close the bag again. Again, make sure there isn't too much air in the bag.
- If you are making baking soda bombs, just put one bomb in each bag.
- If you're not making baking soda bombs, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to each bag.
- The bag must be tightly sealed. If there is a hole or opening, air can escape through the hole, and cannot collect in the bag.
Step 7. Shake each bag vigorously and place the bag on the floor or pavement
Back off immediately so you don't get sprayed with exploding molten chalk. The baking soda will react with the vinegar and make the bag expand. Eventually, the bag will erupt and spray the molten lime onto the pavement and surroundings.
Tips
- If you can't get cornstarch from your local convenience store, try using cornstarch instead. Both are the same material.
- To make scented lime, add a few drops of essential oil or perfume oil. You can get perfume oils from the soap and candle making supplies segment of arts and crafts stores. Essential oils are usually available in health food stores. You can also buy them from arts and crafts stores.
- If you use paint, try using paint that glows in the dark to give your artwork a glow at night.
- Try adding a spoonful of gloss powder to the chalk to make it sparkle even more.
Warning
- The molten lime explosion is less powerful when the bag erupts or opens. The chalk explodes sideways, not upwards.
- Chalk can make a mess of a home, especially when you use liquid chalk. Instruct the children to wear clothes that are easy to clean and don't matter if they get soiled.
