I love looking at children’s sidewalk chalk art but it doesn’t take long before all you have left are tiny chalk stubs. It’s no fun when the rain interrupts a hopscotch game either.

You can make your own chalk using plaster of paris, water and tempera paint. Toilet paper tubes make perfect molds and all you have to do is seal one end with tape. Muffin tins would work for different shapes and you could make a dozen pieces of multi-colored chalk at a time.

For detailed homemade chalk recipes see Families Online Magazine & All Free Crafts.

Chalk Art = Graffiti?

Some think chalk art is simply graffiti. A six-year-old girl received a letter from the department of sanitation to remove her chalk art off the front of her home after a neighbor complained. (New face of vandalism) It seems a bit extreme but as the law stands, it just takes one person to complain for a child to become a criminal.

Apparently, there was a crack down in Brooklyn with sidewalk chalk because artist Ellis Gallagher was thrown in jail a few days later for making graffiti with his chalk art. (Artist vows to keep chalking even after graffiti bust)

Ellis didn’t understand why six-year-old Natalie Shea was getting a hard time because of her chalk drawings. He mentioned to a reporter that he had been creating chalk art for years and wasn’t bothered by police. I don’t think it was a coincidence that he landed in jail shortly after the comment. Ellis is famous for drawing shadows in chalk of objects around the city.

Tags: Crafts //