So I've been staying at home for 3 years now (Happy Birthday, Laney!) For some reason, I thought the very act of staying at home with my children would hone certain areas of my skill set. I've become a better cook, I've gained patience, I may even be a *slightly* better housekeeper.
Still not crafty.
But I keep trying. A few weeks back I saw a bloated, aged Brendan Frasier make sidewalk chalk on Martha Stewart. He seemed either drunk or high (both?) and was able to create a colorful and neat chalk. So I figured that I could do this too. Or at least Laney, who has some skill and an actual attention span for this sort of thing, could enjoy this project.
The prep--took empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls. Duct taped the bottom, rolled a piece of parchment in each. Used big plastic cups (think house party-$5 cup) and disposable plastic cutlery for mixing.
The mix--a cup of water in each cup. 4-6 tablespoons of tempura paint mixed in. slowly mixed in a cup to a cup and a half of Plaster of Paris.
The set-up--poured PoP mix into cardboard cylinders. Let sit a couple of hours. Peeled off cardboard and parchment. Waited until the next day to use.
The result--ok, we made sidewalk chalk. The pros-an active project for the kids, a very colorful chalk, a good-size cylinder for little hands. The cons-messy, much more expensive to make than to buy, and oddly Mia keeps eating the homemade chalk. Can't explain that one.
Also in the Martha/Encino Man segment--homemade watercolors. Hmmmm.....
