Make your own DIY sidewalk chalk paint – it’s easy, cheap, and uses things you probably have! When you’re done, try this 2-ingredient snow dough recipe too! This post contains affiliate links.

Ready for some outdoor fun? We first tried this easy DIY sidewalk chalk paint as a spur of the moment art birthday party activity for Y’s 8th birthday. I realized I’d need to get the kids ouside a bit so that I can switch from food to painting, and needed a same-day, on-the-fly activity!

DIY sidewalk chalk paint was the perfect solution – the kids had fun with it and it came together super quickly.

Today I’m going to share with you everything you need to know about making your own sidewalk chalk paint, including storage, use tips, and yes, how to keep it neater than I did.

And yes, it has that white chalky finish just like sidewalk chalk – but goes on as a liquid like paint! It’s the cornstarch that gives it its chalky texture, and yes, it just washes away, just like chalk!

They can even paint on their outdoor toys.

Does DIY sidewalk chalk paint stain?

I used food coloring to make this sidewalk chalk paint. The advantage is that you get the color in little drops, leaving the texture of the paint intact.

However, food coloring can stain! I stained my hands awfully because one of my food colors was old and lumpy and didn’t mix in well. (It’s photographed here but I threw that color out).

I did not find that it stained the outdoor surface or my kids’ clothing. I think it’s because the color absorbed enough into the corn starch.

I did tell party participants to send kids in junk clothing, so I wasn’t worried about it at the party. I will suggest that if your kids get it on their clothing they should wash it right away (this always applies, even to washable paints!) I also recommend considering where you color – while it didn’t stain our outdoors, you need to keep open the possibility that it might leave light stains, and do it in an area where that won’t bother you.

You can also try using one of the following options to color it instead:

Ground up sidewalk chalk (an extra step that makes it not so easy anymore)
Washable kids’ paints (it’s less pigmented, so you’ll need to use more which may affect the texture).
Washable liquid pigments
Washable powder pigments

Food coloring is the easiest choice for me, but you can definitely play around with this recipe.

Tips

I always jot down notes as I do an activity to share with you how you can improve on it – or the choices I made that worked out well and made it easier.

Making it neater – on the prep end

This CAN be a neat activity to prepare, and yes, I did it quite neatly at the party. But then when I repeated this to share it in this post, I made a royal mess.

Here is my take on how to keep things neat:

Mix up all the cornstarch and water in one large container and distribute it between smaller ones to add color. Remember: it’s food safe, so you can use your regular kitchen tools.
Use containers that are larger than needed both for mixing in colors and for mixing the main batch.
Use fresh food coloring and don’t add too much! Just 2-3 drops per color.
Work slowly, don’t rush. Corn starch can get all over, but if you measure carefully and place it in a large bowl, you’ll be able to contain it better.

While I see people make DIY sidewalk chalk paint in muffin tins, I do NOT recommend that. I recommend making larger batches in food storage containers, and planning to use it all at once.

Which brushes should you use

We brought out an assortment of brushes but found that the typical bristled house painting (chip) brushes worked best. You can get large packs for a great price, and the large sizes are great for outdoor use (just make sure it fits neatly into the containers you’re using.)

We found that silicone brushes didn’t hold enough paint and foam brushes shredded on the pavement. Large, cheap bristle brushes held the paint well, gave us good strokes and coverage, and while they did lose a few bristles, they held up well enough.

Storing DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

This DIY sidewalk chalk paint is NOT designed to prepare in advance. Your best bet is to prep it as needed – it really takes minutes.

If you need to advance prep, here are so me ideas:

Prep pre-measured colored water (you’ll need to do the colors separately so it’s more work), and pre-measure cornstarch. Mix each color fresh.
Store it in an airtight container. Use it as soon as possible.
If it dries up, you can try rehydrating it.

I really, really, recommend that you just make it fresh.

It separates a bit (almost immediately) but still works totally fine as you paint. So don’t worry if you see a bit of separation.

How to make DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

You’ll need

Corn Starch (I used about 1/3 cup per color)
Water
Food coloring
Storage containers
Recommended: a large mixing bowl
Paintbrushes (I recommend chip brushes 2-4 inches wide)
Popsicle sticks or spoons to stir with
Large mixing bowl or container
Measuring cup

Watch the video

Process

1. Mix equal parts corn starch and water. Note: I recommend doing this in a big bowl and dividing it up after. If you’re doing it in separate containers, add water to one at a time and mix it right after.

2. Add 2-3 drops food coloring and mix well. Mix and match colors and add more only as needed.

Your DIY sidewalk chalk paint is complete! Have fun playing! And if you want a fun spin on this, try this foamy sidewalk paint too!

DIY Three Ingredient Sidewalk Paint

Make your own DIY sidewalk chalk paint - it's easy, cheap, and uses things you probably have!

Ingredients

Corn Starch (I used about 1/3 cup per color)
Water
Food coloring
Storage containers
Recommended: a large mixing bowl
Paintbrushes (I recommend house painting bristle brushes 2-4 inches wide)
Popsicle sticks or spoons to stir with

Instructions

1. Mix equal parts corn starch and water. Note: I recommend doing this in a big bowl and dividing it up after. If you're doing it in separate containers, add water to one at a time and mix it right after.

2. Add 2-3 drops food coloring and mix well. Mix and match colors and add more only as needed.

Your DIY sidewalk chalk paint is complete! Have fun playing!

Notes

Mix up all the cornstarch and water in one large container and distribute it between smaller ones to add color. Remember: it's food safe, so you can use your regular kitchen tools.
Use containers that are larger than needed both for mixing in colors and for mixing the main batch.
Use fresh food coloring and don't add too much! Just 2-3 drops per color.
Work slowly, don't rush. Corn starch can get all over, but if you measure carefully and place it in a large bowl, you'll be able to contain it better.

Easiest Ever DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Does DIY sidewalk chalk paint stain?