Little Green Heroes
DIY eggshell chalk
This simple upcycling activity is a brilliant way for kids to see how everyday kitchen items can be reused in a fun, creative way. Using just Yallamundi Farm egg shells, a few pantry staples and some food colouring, children can make their very own chalk sticks to draw and decorate to their heart’s content.
The Little Green Lesson: Upcycling, no-waste
Materials
- 1 tablespoon of egg shell powder
- 1 teaspoon plain flour
- ½ teaspoon food colouring
- 1-1 ½ teaspoons of hot water
Method
-
Keep your Yallamundi egg shells after you cook with your eggs. Rinse out the egg shells, peel away their inner membrane and allow the shells to dry completely until you’ve collected the full dozen.
-
To turn your egg shells into a fine powder, either grind them by hand with a mortar and pestle, or roughly crush them then turn them into a powder with a spice grinder or high-speed blender.
-
Get the egg shells into as fine a powder as possible, then sift with a tea strainer to remove any leftover larger pieces of shell. The finer the powder, the more pieces of chalk you’ll be able to make and the better the chalk will draw.
-
Stir together the egg shell powder and flour in a small bowl. Add the food colouring and hot water (start with one teaspoon and add more if needed). Mix well until it becomes a firm paste.
-
Roll the paste into a small cylinder or any shape you’d like your chalk to be – remember that the thicker the shape, the longer it’ll take for the chalk to dry.
-
Repeat with the remaining egg shell powder and different colours of food colouring until you have a little collection of chalk in different colours.
-
Set the chalk pieces aside in the sun to dry for 2-4 days, depending on the size of your chalk. You need to allow the chalk to dry out completely and get very firm before you use it or it’ll crumble when you draw.
-
Pop your chalk in your pocket and take with you to leave your mark wherever you go!
