Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk Eggs

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

07 Apr 2007 06:19 AM

Here is a great frugal Easter gift that the kids will love. It is a great addition to any Easter basket, or as a gift to be used year round. You can make your own sidewalk chalk eggs with a few simple ingredients in practically no time at all.

I love this gift idea because it is an Easter basket filler that doesn't require a trip to the dentist. And it is very frugal because it costs much less than buying traditional Easter basket toys.

The chalk eggs can be used any time at all, not just at Easter. My kids happen to love sidewalk chalk. If I let them, they would decorate our entire block with chalk drawings. My eldest likes to practice his letters and words with it.

If the weather on Easter doesn't cooperate enough to use the chalk outside, you can still use it inside. Just have the kids draw on construction paper that is black or really any dark color. The chalk will show up nicely, and you can always save the masterpieces.

To make your own sidewalk chalk eggs, you will need:

• Empty egg cartons
• Plaster (get this at your local home improvement or hardware store)
• Water
• Food coloring
• Hot glue gun

Here are the easy instructions:

1. Mix together 1 cup of plaster and 1/2 cup of water. Add a few drops of food coloring. You can either mix the food coloring in throughly to get solid colored eggs, or swirls the color a bit for unique designs. Pour the mixture into the empty egg carton cups.
2. When the chalk eggs are dry and hardened, peel away the egg carton. Glue two halves together to make a whole egg.

You can also experiment with this chalk, making different shapes, depending on the molds you use. Anything that is made out of cardboard can be easily peeled away for an easy mold. Silicone bake ware make good molds, too. The chalk will easily pop out. Try using silicon muffin pans or cookie molds for something different.

Related Articles:

Frugal Kids: Free Building Set

Frugal Fun: Make Your Own Snow Paint

Frugal Fun: Make A Snowman Kit

Frugal Egg Decorating Ideas

Frugal Easter Egg Dyes

Real Kitchen Uses for Egg Cartons

Real Storage Solutions Using Egg Cartons

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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