A simple Valentine’s Day project to recycle used and broken crayons.
While there is something really satisfying about opening a brand new box of crayons, turning old and broken ones into something new is even more rewarding. Instead of tossing those bits and pieces into the trash, consider stockpiling them for a future project. With a little imagination, colorful crayon wax can be reused in a lot of ways— from DIY candles and art projects, to usable new crayons. This was a fun project I did with my kids to give as gifts to their classmates on Valentine’s Day. I love how colorful and unique each one turned out, and they were essentially free to make.
Supplies Needed
Heart-Shaped Silicone Mold
(*You can find them in stores and online. Alternatives, like cookie cutters or mini-muffin pans, can also be used as molds for additional shapes.)
Assortment of broken or unneeded crayons
How to Make Melted Crayon Hearts
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Step 2: Unwrap the crayons.
This step can actually be pretty cathartic. Individually unwrap each crayon and collect them in a bowl or box. Some wrappers come off easily, but for stubborn ones, soaking them in warm water can help to loosen the wrapper glue. Because crayon wrappers often have a waxy residue on them, they’re not a great candidate for traditional recycling, so we discarded ours in the trash.
Step 3: Break crayons into similar size pieces and fill molds.
It’s up to you how selective or creative you want to get about color combinations. The goal is to fill the molds evenly, about halfway.
Step 4: Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the wax has completely melted.
Step 5: Let the crayons cool completely.
Removing them before they have completely hardened can result in broken or cracked crayons. Plan on letting them sit for several hours.
Step 6: Remove from molds.
Silicone molds are pretty pliable and make it easy to carefully loosen the crayons. If using an alternative mold, like a cookie cutter or muffin tin, gently tap out the finished crayons.
In the end you are left with an assortment of colorful, one-of-a-kind crayons. My kids loved testing them out on paper to watch how the colors changed, and were truly excited to give out handmade gifts to their classmates on Valentine's Day!
--Jill Span Hofbauer
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