DIY Chalk Paint Recipe: How to Make and Use

This DIY tutorial shares how to make chalk paint with only two ingredients, one of which is water!

Making recycled homemade chalk paint for creating art on sidewalks, driveways, playgrounds, parking lots, patios, pathways, and other concrete or asphalt surfaces is incredibly easy—you barely need a DIY chalk paint recipe. This project tutorial shares how to make sidewalk chalk paint quickly and easily. This homemade chalk paint recipe is so simple that it requires only two ingredients!

Best of all, it takes minutes to make and provides hours of fun at home, at school, or at summer camp. Chalk paint is a creative art medium that can be enjoyed year-round; spring, summer, fall, and even winter if you have areas to paint that are still exposed, as we do in Northern California. Even teens and adults will enjoy making chalk paint and painting with it to create various types of artwork and games, such as hopscotch and four-square, that can extend the fun even longer.

Invite children to collect old sidewalk chalk pieces and follow the simple step-by-step instructions below. Before starting, please note that the directions below explain how to make colored sidewalk chalk paint, not the chalk paint you use to create a DIY chalkboard. A few readers have asked, so I thought I’d highlight that detail.

Do-it-yourself chalk paint is the perfect medium for messy outdoor sidewalk chalk art projects for kids and adults. Artists of all ages will enjoy making chalk paint with this simple recipe. Once finished, paint chalk art masterpieces on sidewalks, driveways, playgrounds, and parking lots. DIY chalk paint makes it easy to get creative. Use our tips to make Shadow Art and other sidewalk chalk projects and activities.

Homemade Chalk Paint for Outdoor Art Projects and Activities:

This homemade chalk paint DIY tutorial makes creating sidewalk chalk art fun and easy for kids of all ages. The recipe also makes for easy cleanup because chalk can easily be washed away. Kids and adults can spend hours painting and creating chalk art, which takes only minutes to clean up and wash away. For more outdoor art ideas, visit these Rock Painting ideas for kids.

This easy, recycled, DIY chalk paint recipe is perfect for DIYers who enjoy outdoor art projects. First published on May 29, 2016, this DIY chalk paint recipe is regularly updated to improve the content. Learn how to make DIY chalk paint with children at home, in the classroom, or at summer camp with the instructions below. You might also enjoy this list of outdoor activities for kids.

DIY Chalk Paint for Outdoor Art Activities:

Painting with recycled homemade chalk paint is a fun outdoor art activity for kids and adults of all ages. Toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, elementary school-aged kids, and even teens enjoy creating sidewalk chalk art with chalk paint. It’s much easier to fill in chalk drawings with chalk paint than to color chalk pictures with a small piece of chalk because chalk paint provides excellent coverage. Best of all, DIY chalk paint is the perfect medium for messy outdoor process art because it does not stain and can easily be washed away. Clean-up doesn’t get much easier than that.

Chalk paint works best on flat surfaces like sidewalks, driveways, concrete patios and courtyards, and playgrounds because it tends to be a bit too runny for painting on vertical surfaces, such as an outdoor chalkboard.

We like to use our homemade chalk paint to create shadow chalk art and other sidewalk chalk masterpieces on our driveway. It’s like painting with dusty watercolors on a giant canvas, and it’s so much fun! Click on the link above to see a few sidewalk chalk art paintings we made with recycled chalk paint. Or scroll down to learn how to make chalk paint using the recipe ingredients list and DIY tutorial below.

Related: Rock Balancing Stone Stacking Art (or Vandalism?)

Chalk Paint Recipe Ingredients and Craft Supplies:

Look for these supplies at craft stores, or use the Amazon affiliate links to the best DIY chalk paint recipe ingredients below. (If you click to purchase, Rhythms of Play will earn a small commission at no additional cost.)

Chalk Paint Ingredients:

• Old broken pieces of chalk or new sidewalk chalk.
• Water.
• Cornstarch (Optional).

DIY Chalk Paint Recipe: Ratio of Powdered Sidewalk Chalk to Water:

• Ratio: You will need approximately 3 to 4 parts chalk and 1/2 to 1 part water.
• Please read the complete step-by-step instructions below to better determine the amounts you will need to make chalk paint.

Chalk Paint DIY Supplies:

• 1-quart freezer bags (thin, weak bags can get destroyed when making chalk paint).
• A rubber mallet or small hammer to smash sidewalk chalk into chalk powder. (Alternatively, you can use an old blender or mixer, but please wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from chalk powder.
• Metal pitcher or recycled container for water:
  • Muffin tins or recycled plastic containers are perfect for this: yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc.
  • Alternatively, you can use ramekins and small bowls.
• Paintbrushes that are sturdy enough to paint sidewalks and driveways.
  • A foam brush or sturdy paint roller also works.
• Chopsticks for mixing chalk paint.

How to Make Chalk Paint with Recycled Sidewalk Chalk: Step-by-Step DIY Instructions:

This DIY chalk paint recipe makes it easy for kids of all ages to paint and create sidewalk chalk art. First, gather the recipe ingredients and craft supplies above. Then, follow the easy step-by-step directions below to learn how to make chalk paint. For more summertime fun, look at this list of summer activities with a printable bucket list of ideas.

1. Collect sidewalk chalk:

• Gather the kids and invite them to collect small, broken, water-soaked pieces of chalk to make homemade chalk paint.
• New sidewalk chalk can also be used if you don’t have enough broken pieces.

2. Sort sidewalk chalk by color:

• Get the kids involved in the next step in the recycled chalk-making process with this simple color-sorting activity:
  • Invite your children (or students) to sort the chalk by color into a muffin tin (or other containers that will work) to hold the chalk for color sorting.
  • Once kids are finished sorting the sidewalk chalk into colors, move on to the next step.

3. Put each color of sidewalk chalk into a separate freezer bag:

• Place the pieces of chalk of the same color into separate freezer bags.
• If you enlist children to help, ensure that each color of broken sidewalk chalk is in a freezer bag with only that color.
• Freezer bags are recommended because weak bags can rip and tear in the next step.
• Alternatively, you can put the chalk in an old blender with water to make each color of DIY chalk paint.

4. Crush the sidewalk chalk into a fine powder:

• Wrap a bag of sidewalk chalk in a small kitchen towel.
• Next, use a rubber mallet (or a small hammer) to crush the sidewalk chalk into a fine powder inside the bag. To keep the bag intact, think tap, not hammer.
• In other words, softly hit the bag of chalk wrapped in the towel until each piece is completely crushed.
• If you ask the kids to help with this, tell them to keep their fingers out of the way and gently tap the chalk in the bag, wrapped in a towel, with a hammer or mallet to crush it.
• Please ensure children are supervised as they work.

5. Put the sidewalk chalk powder into separate containers:

• Add the powdered chalk to the separated containers of an old muffin tin or use a bowl or another recycled container.
• To make small batches of DIY chalk paint, put one color of chalk powder into each muffin compartment or container.
• Recycled sour cream, cottage cheese, and yogurt containers also work well.
  • Save the lids to make it easy to cover and store the paint.

6. Add water to sidewalk chalk powder and mix:

• Slowly pour a few ounces of water into the chalk powder, one color at a time.
• Next, mix the chalk powder with a paintbrush or chopstick while slowly pouring water into it.
• You want your DIY chalk paint mixture to be about the consistency of pancake batter.
• A great tip is to start with less water than you think, and add more if needed.
• If your homemade chalk paint is too thin, crush up more sidewalk chalk and add it to the chalk paint (or add a bit of cornstarch to the chalk and water mixture) to thicken it.

7. Allow the recycled DIY chalk paint recipe to sit and settle:

• Give your homemade chalk paint 30-60 minutes to sit and settle.
• After your colored chalk paint has had time to blend and settle, stir each paint cup again with a chopstick.
• Use the chopstick to crush any remaining chalk chunks and lumps as you stir before painting.

8. Invite children or adults to create DIY chalk paint masterpieces:

• Encourage children or adults of all ages to grab a paintbrush and homemade chalk paint to get creative at home or in the classroom.
• Invite artists of all ages to dip a sturdy paintbrush into the homemade chalk paint and paint it onto the surface or outdoor canvas they are working on.
  • Chalk paint is the perfect art medium for sidewalks, driveways, playgrounds, patios, parking lots, and other large and small paved surfaces.
• To make the artwork pop, use bright, contrasting colors.
• Consider creating DIY chalk art with a theme like one of the ideas below.
• Adding details and elements that tell a story or create a specific atmosphere for a holiday or a special event can also be fun.
• Try any of the other sidewalk chalk art ideas in the next section.

Ideas for Sidewalk Chalk Art:

Use DIY chalk paint to create a(n):

• Giant sun.
• Rainbow and fluffy clouds.
• Beach with a wave, palm tree, etc.
• Heart(s).
• Shapes.
• Stripes and dots.
• Geometric patterns.
• Solorful doodles.
• Blooming flowers.
• Underwater ocean scene.
• Deep space adventure.
• Garden walkway.
• Cityscape.
• Castle.
• Fairies and gnomes.
• Dragon with fire coming out of its mouth.
• Woodland path.
• Tropical oasis.
• Forest of beautiful trees.
• Dinosaurs.
• Shadow art.
• Paint a game, such as a hopscotch board outline, a four-square court, an obstacle course, an exercise circuit, or make up your own game! Once it is completed, invite the kids to play. You can even make up your own game!

There are several more chalk art craft ideas you can paint, but I’ll stop here. The best idea is to hand over the paintbrush and chalk paints and let the kids do whatever they want in the process art style. The only limit is the limits of their imagination.

Most importantly, experiment with different DIY chalk art designs and themes! Read through the DIY tips for sidewalk chalk paint below before getting started. Feel free to look at THIS list for more creative sidewalk chalk art ideas.

How to Use Chalk Paint: Tips and Tricks for Painting with Chalk:

After using chalk paint for several years, my daughter and I have learned a few things about making and painting with it. Read through the chalk paint tips for the best results. You might also enjoy this list of rainbow art projects, crafts, and painting ideas.

1. Have water available nearby:

• When using homemade chalk paint, it’s best to have water available to add to it as you work.
• Recycled chalk paint loses water as you work, making it thicken, so you will likely need more water. Having water nearby makes it easy to pour more into the chalk paint mix when needed.
• Pour water into your recycled chalk paint whenever you need it.
• I like to keep a small metal pitcher near where my family and friends are painting so we can easily add water whenever our chalk paint thickens or dries out. Use what you like best!

2. The colors of chalk paint fade when dry:

• Another exciting thing about painting with chalk is that each color looks paler when wet than when dry.
• This is no big deal; just let the kids know their sidewalk chalk paintings may look different when dry.
  • Doing so will prevent a meltdown, as some toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners become very attached to the way their chalk paintings look before they dry and can become upset when it doesn’t look the same.

3. Crush lumps of chalk as you paint:

• Recycled chalk paint often contains a few lumps of colored chalk pieces.
• If you find any little chunks in your cup of chalk paint or intermixes within the chalk paintings, crush them with a paintbrush handle or a chopstick.
  • Add a little water to mix them into the chalk paint as you work if needed.

4. Don’t paint colored DIY chalk paint on vertical surfaces:

• I don’t recommend using this colored chalk paint recipe on a vertical outdoor chalkboard because it can run and make the vertical chalk painting look drippy.
• This homemade chalk paint recipe is best for flat surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, concrete patios, and playgrounds.

5. Add a second coat of paint if desired:

• After applying a coat of chalk paint to create sidewalk chalk art, apply a second coat if you would like the color to be less translucent and more opaque.
• However, painting a second coat of sidewalk chalk paint is optional and usually unnecessary.

6. Take pictures of your artistic DIY chalk art creations:

• Once finished, I recommend taking pictures of your sidewalk chalk art masterpieces before leaving them or washing them away.
• Chalk art is easily ruined; please don’t leave it for later only to be disappointed by an overzealous sprinkler head, an unknowing but well-meaning neighbor, or an unexpected sprinkle of rain. (Been there, done that!)

7. Wash chalk paint away when finished, or leave it to continue to beautify the space:

• When finished, rinse chalk art masterpieces with a hose or a bucket of water (or two), or leave them for others to enjoy as they walk past.

Related: Sorting and Classifying Rocks

Try this shadow art STEAM project activity with homemade chalk paint:

We use this chalk paint to make shadow art on our driveway. Creating shadow art with homemade sidewalk chalk paint is a fun, hands-on outdoor STEAM activity for kids. My daughter and I LOVED working with chalk paint. It was like painting with dusty watercolors on a giant canvas. And we had lots of fun painting with it in the spring and summer sun. (Please use chemical-free sunscreen when working and playing outside in the sunlight.)

Related: The Best Rock Painting Ideas for Kids

Homemade Chalk Paint for Outdoor Art Project Activities:

Making recycled chalk paint is a great way to recycle old, broken, and water-soaked sidewalk chalk. Chalk paint is the perfect medium for outdoor process art that can easily be washed away.

The vibrant colors with a matte finish look beautiful painted on sidewalks and driveways. For more summer fun, check out this bucket list of fun summer activities for kids and their caretakers.

You might also like our arts and crafts page for kids. It has several other creative ideas to help cure the summertime blues.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author, photographer, and creator of this step-by-step DIY chalk paint tutorial HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!

If You Like DIY Chalk Paint, You Might Also Like these Project ideas:

• DIY Outdoor Chalkboard
• Single Color Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Painting
• DIY Outdoor Art Table and Mud Kitchen
• Mud Pie Nature Art
• Outdoor Activities for Kids
• How to Make a Fairy Garden