How to Make Chalk Melts with Plaster of Paris

Let’s make homemade chalk melts! Wait, did I just say chalk melts? Yes, I did and our homemade chalk melts in fun shapes and colors are going to become your child’s new favorite way to use chalk! 

What is a chalk melt?

A chalk melt is a soft chalk recipe that you add extra stability through the process of freezing overnight. Kids love using chalk melts for sidewalk and driveway art because the color transfers easily to those surfaces with deeper color intensity and less pressure. 

Homemade Pastels for Outdoor Drawing

It reminds me of using pastels for drawing. Chalk melts are great for younger kids who don’t have the coordination to push down hard while drawing or artists of any age that want to control the color more easily. This activity can get a little messy but that is a big part of the fun!

How to Make Homemade Chalk Melts

These chalk melts are easy to make. Even if you are planning on putting them into an Easter basket or stocking, you may want the kids to help just because it is fun.

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Supplies Needed to make chalk melts

• 3/4th cup Plaster of Paris
• 2-4 tablespoons Tempera Paint — you choose the color & intensity
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup COLD water
• Silicone molds — such as this Heart silicone mold
• Mixing bowl – or we did small batches like this one in large paper cups so we could mix different colors for the different molds
• Wooden spoon or stick for mixing

Instructions for making chalk melts

Step 1

Combine the sugar and tempera paint in a bowl (or large cup) and mix together completely with a wood stick or spoon.

Craft tip: We added 3 tablespoons of tempera paint for each color that we mixed.

Step 2

Add the cold water and mix until the entire sugary mixture is dissolved.

Step 3

Add the 3/4th cup of Plaster of Paris and continue stirring until there are no clumps.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into the silicone mold, and then freeze it for at least 24 hours. Pop your homemade chalk out of silicone molds when you are ready to use them. 

Craft tip: You can also make batches of these by freezing them in the molds and then transferring them into another container to leave in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

Repeat steps 1 through 4 for as many colors and shapes as you desire!

Our finished chalk melts

Our experience with chalk melts

What I like about using this recipe is that it is really easy for their little fingers to get the color on the highly textured driveway without a lot of effort.

The kids’ hands get really messy with color, but because we used a washable tempera paint, a little hose water will clean them up thoroughly before letting them back in the house!

Easter BUNNY Chalk MELTS

Check out when we made Easter bunny chalk melts. You don’t have to use just bunny shapes! You can make an egg shape as well. It’ll fit in a small egg carton, making them extra cute for Easter. We found these cool shapes:

Using Chalk Melts at Easter

• You can make the chalk in pastel colors, dark colors, vibrant colors, or whatever color you want.
• If you make them small enough the chalk can fit into plastic Easter eggs.
• If you are using Easter baskets fill them with Easter grass or another filler. You will need to give the baskets within a few hours. Don’t leave them sitting in the sun, or wait until the last moment to add them to the basket. You can individually wrap them too.
• I think if you treat them like you would a chocolate bunny – not leaving in sun, etc. – it will work great!

With Easter right around the corner, now is the perfect time to make these and head outside for some good, melting fun!

More chalk ideas from Kids Activities Blog

Did you have fun with your chalk melts? What shapes did you make?