How to Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk

Jun 25, 2013

Wondering what to take as a hostess gift to that 4th of July party you’re attending? Or wondering how to entertain the kids during 4th of July day until it’s time to light fireworks? Maybe you want that special something to take your chalkboard trays to the next level at your own 4th of July Party? We have you covered on all 3 bases. And its so easy and cheap to make – patriotic star shaped sidewalk chalk!

Supplies:
– red, blue, and yellow tempera paint
– plaster of paris
– star molds
– disposable mixing cups

– disposable mixing spoons

– gloves

– toothpicks

This same method would work for making chalk in any color in any shape, but we wanted to do festive red, white, and blue for the 4th of July!

Mix 1/4 cup of paint with 3/4 cup of water. Then add 1 cup of plaster of paris to it. Mix together and pour into mold. If you want any white stars, just use 1 cup water and don’t add any paint.

To make chalk with 2 colors in it for an ombre effect, let your mixture dry for about 1 hour until it becomes the consistency of cake batter. Then pour or spoon two colors into each mold. Swirl it with a toothpick to get a marbled look.

Let the chalk dry for 24 hours before gently popping it out of the mold. Let them dry for another 24 hours before using. If any water rises to the top during the drying process, simply blot with a paper towel.

Now you’re ready for the best 4th of July Party ever!

We think you’re never too old to create with sidewalk chalk :)

Do you have any special traditions that you do for the 4th of July every year? Talk to us in the comments below!

7 Ways Chalkboard Paint Can Organize Your Family’s Life

Chalkboard paint is one of those little inventions that can totally change the way we do things — or at least come in really, really handy. No mama wants to spend her oh-so-precious time scanning school supply websites for a clunky chalkboard just to write her family’s soccer/t-ball/dance/karate/swimming schedule on. That’s where chalkboard paint comes in. It’s affordable, it’s versatile, and it’s a lifesaver for artsy and craft-averse parents alike. Scroll on for seven easy chalkboard paint tricks that’ll give your life a major upgrade.

1. Boredom Buster: Instead of having to stop whatever you’re doing and hunt for paper, paints, crayons, and glitter to entertain your kiddo, a wall of chalkboard is… well, kind of just there. Outline a massive rectangle with painter’s tape, fill it in with chalkboard paint, and there you have it: a low-maintenance art activity that’s available all the time.

2. Scheduling Hack: Again, buying a chalkboard (or a white board) takes time. There are so many options out there, and you have no idea which one will fit in your space. And then you have to figure out how to hang this gargantuan creature on your kitchen or family room wall. No thank you! Just turn one of your walls into a DIY chalkboard, draw a grid on it, and start adding your family’s weekly schedule.

3. List Twist: There’s never any paper when you need it, and don’t even start looking for a pen. You’re lucky if you find half a crayon. But that doesn’t stop your fam from listing off all the things they need. Chalkboard paint to the rescue! A strategically placed swatch and a tiny container of chalk (try reusing an old yogurt container) make for an instant list.

4. Writing Reminders: Picture this: You’re leaving for work at 7am, but your S.O. and the kids aren’t making their way to daycare until 8am. You don’t want to get in the way of their routine, or wake them up earlier than necessary, so you leave behind a note… a note that no one sees, because it’s on a Post-it that fell onto the floor and was promptly eaten by the dog. A wall covered in chalkboard paint lets you graffiti mega-sized notes to each other, without the fear that they’ll get lost in the ether.

5. Crafty Containers: Chalkboard paint is a great way to label all of those mason jars you’ve been saving. With the swipe of a piece of chalk, you can organize pantry items, the kids’ art supplies, and lord knows what else. Best of all, you can always erase and rewrite, so your DIY storage system stays super versatile.

6. Gifts Galore: Don’t settle for the same-old, same-old for Grandma this year. True, she won’t complain that she’s getting yet another holiday card finger print painting, but you want to gift your own mama with something special. Cover just about anything (except food) with chalkboard paint and you’ve got a completely crafty and simple-to-make present.

7. Study Buddy: Whether your little one is just starting to learn her ABCs or she’s already writing her name, chalkboard paint is a serious game-changer when it comes to practicing everything from the alphabet to addition. A wall, some chalk, and a little tutoring by you can get your child completely into the learning process!

Do you have a favorite chalkboard paint craft? Share yours and tweet us @BritandCo!

(Photo via Getty)

chalkboard

Why Timothée Chalamet Abandoned “Good Friend” Austin Butler’s ‘Elvis’ Method For Bob Dylan Role

Austin Butler as Elvis, Selena Gomez as Linda Rondstat, and now Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan — there will never be enough biopics for me! (The real question is when are we going to get a Taylor Swift movie?). When pictures from the set of the new Bob Dylan movie, A Complete Unknown, hit Twitter, I had to do a double take because Timothée Chalamet looks so much like the musician I couldn't believe my eyes! You can watch the A Complete Unknown trailer here.

Timothée is going to be joined by Met Gala queen Elle Fanning, as well as Top Gun superstar Monica Barbaro. Here's everything you need to know about the movie — and our favorite Bob Dylan songs to listen to while you wait for its release.

Keep reading to see the latest updates from Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Timothée Chalamet stars in A Complete Unknown, coming to theaters December 25, 2024.
He's joined by Elle Fanning and Monica Barbaro.
The movie follows Bob Dylan's career in the 1960s as he rises to fame and later shifts from folk to rock'n'roll.

Did Timothée Chalamet take inspiration from Austin Butler’s Elvis?

Timothée Chalamet recently revealed that while he originally wanted to approach A Complete Unknown by taking direct inspiration from Bob Dylan, he quickly changed his tone...so to speak. "Somebody once said to me, you can't make a movie about a painter because it's not interesting to watch paint dry," he says in People's exclusive video. "Bob has that element because he's not one of these forward-facing musicians."

While Timmy saw Natalie Portman a sequence in Jackie "step-for-step exactly what Jackie did," and paid attention to "all this stuff that I saw my good friend Austin Butler crush it with on Elvis," he quickly realized "I gotta do none of this because this is not my style."

"Bob did not have a vocal coach," he continues. "He had two bottles of red wine and four packs of cigarettes. There's no way to impersonate that." One of my favorite things about biopics is seeing how a well-known actor portrays a recognizable figure. And you can see Timothée Chalamet's interpretation of Bob Dylan in theaters December 25!

Monica Barbaro Sings Her Heart Out

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We got a look at Monica Barbaro as singer-songwriter Joan Baez, who was one of the first major artists in the 1960s to record Bob Dylan's music!

I was super impressed to learn Timothée showed up and sang live for the film. "It was important for me to play and sing on set because it was in the spirit of the movie to do it live," he says in a video from People. "Many of the artists through American pop culture that had the balls to turn their back on what was expected of them, that moment started with Bob. His words are relevant; 'Times They are A Changing' ' is relevant, 'Blowin' in the Wind' is relevant."

Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet In "A Complete Unknown"

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Elle Fanning totally embodies the late '60s vibe in this fall outfit. The bold maroon blazer, the long straight hair, and the striped turtleneck — I love it all! Elle is starring this Bob Dylan movie as Sylvie Russo, a university student and artist Bob falls for in the '60s.

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Thanks to some onset leaks, we also got a glimpse of the movie's version of The Freewheelin'! Elle Fanning and Timothée Chalamet look incredible as Sylvia Russo and Bob Dylan. I'm a sucker for any kind of recreation, so seeing this new version of the classic record cover is incredible!!

The First Pictures From Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan Movie

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Timothée Chalamet has totally transformed into Bob Dylan on the set of A Complete Unknown. And when I saw the pictures of Timothée carrying the guitar my jaw dropped!! He completely engrossed himself in Wonka and Dune 2 and I'm so excited to see him do the same for this Bob Dylan movie.

What is the movie about Bob Dylan called?

H. Thompson/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Amy Sussman/Getty Images

A Complete Unknown Plot

Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan movie is called A Complete Unknown. The movie filmed around New York City in the spring of 2024, and James Mangold is serving as director (you might recognize his name from Logan, Girl, Interrupted, and Walk the Line). The movie will cover the period during the 1960s when Bob Dylan shifted from folk to rock'n'roll, changing the face of pop culture (and culture in general, TBH), forever.

"When that movie finally comes out, people are going to be shocked because you're going to think you're hearing Bob Dylan sing," vocal coach Eric Vetro tells PEOPLE. "[Timothée Chalamet] just has this uncanny ability to not impersonate, but really breathe life into it. He's embodying Bob Dylan and what he was like at that age."

Who else is in A Complete Unknown with Timothée Chalamet?

Amy Sussman/Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images/Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Gotham Film & Media Institute

A Complete Unknown Cast

The A Complete Unknown cast is incredible! Alongside Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, we'll see Top Gun: Maverick's Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash, and Nick Offerman as Alan Lomax.

When is the Bob Dylan movie coming out?

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

A Complete Unknown Release Date

A Complete Unknown will hit theaters on December 25, 2024. And since Timothée Chalamet has been seen in turtlenecks, hats, and jackets on set, this sounds like the perfect cozy movie to me!

I always need some brand new music to listen to once the weather gets chilly, and I will for sure be listening to anything Timothée records.

What song did Bob Dylan write for a movie?

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for VH1

Bob Dylan wrote "Things Have Changed" for the 2000 movie Wonder Boys, which starred Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, and Katie Holmes. This Bob Dylan song ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Original Songand the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song!

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door," which is arguably the singer's most popular track, was released two months after the 1973 premiere of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid as a part of the film's soundtrack.

What are some other Bob Dylan songs to listen to?

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

I totally agree that one of the best Bob Dylan songs is "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," but "Blowin' In The Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" are also great songs to listen to if you're a new Bob Dylan fan. So far, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" is my personal favorite song.

His style is the perfect blend of rock and folk that reminds me of summer picnics and walks in the woods. His sound also reportedly inspired Taylor Swift's Folklore!

What are you most excited to see in Timothée Chalamet's Bob Dylan movie A Complete Unknown? Check out our Facebook for more movie news!

This post has been updated.

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All Of Valerie McKeehan’s Tips, Tricks, And Techniques To Complete Your Own Chalk Illustration

All you need to do is a take a quick glimpse at Valerie’s Instagram account to get excited about learning chalk illustration. Her designs might look intricate and complex, but anyone can learn to illustration with chalk. Especially when Valerie is sharing all of her illustration tips and tricks that she picked up over the years working with chalk.

Her new online class, Intro To Chalk Illustration, is the follow-up to her first Brit + Co online class Intro to Chalk Lettering.

In this 85-minute beginner-friendly course, you’ll learn how to illustrate floral designs with chalk. To be precise, you’ll learn how to draw three types of flowers: An anemone, a rose, and a coneflower. Valerie will teach you design principles, how to create a balanced composition, and how to add texture and depth using smudging and erasing techniques. Your final project will be tying all the elements together to create a floral illustration design. And since we all love lettering, she’ll show you how to incorporate lettering into your illustration.

Need an extra resource? Check out Valerie’s book, The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering: Create and Develop Your Own Style, for more chalk lettering lessons and projects!

By the end of Intro to Chalk Illustration, you’ll know how to:

Apply design principles to plan a balanced and cohesive illustration.
Sketch three multi-dimensional flowers that have texture and depth.
Add focal points and floral fillers to create a complete piece of chalk art.

Ready to get chalky? Enroll in our newest illustration class today. You can even paint it with Valerie’s first course, Intro To Chalk Lettering, to learn even more chalk art techniques.

PSST! DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE CLASS GIVEAWAY

By enrolling in the class today, you’ll automatically be entered into our class giveaway. You could win prizes up to $125 in value, including:

An award-winning Chalk Lettering Tool Kit from Lily + Val.
An 11 x 14-inch wall print designed by Valerie.
Two Brit + Co online classes

We’ll pick three winners at random on 9/19. Winners will be announced here and notified via email as well.

Once you enroll in the course, it’s yours forever. You can watch it on demand whenever… especially on a lazy Sunday in your pajamas! The course also comes with an 11-page workbook created by Valerie that you can download after you enroll.

So what are you waiting for? Enroll in our Intro to Chalk Illustration online class today.

What are you excited to learn in this upcoming class? Share with us on Twitter and tag @BritandCo and #bcclasses.

hand lettering illustration online classes chalkboard

Renée Zellwegger & Leo Woodall Prove Age Gaps Are Sexy In 'Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy' Trailer

If you're a rom-com fan who also can't get enough of Jane Austen's books, you've probably seen the Bridget Jones movies. The story (which is loosely based on Pride & Prejudice) follows the titular Bridget Jones, a 30-something who sets out on a mission to improve herself over the course of a year while she looks for a partner. And, in true romantic movie form, she keeps a diary the whole time. Not only can we rewatch the original trilogy as many times as we want, but we're also getting a fourth movie! Here's everything we know about Bridget Jones 4.