Monday, November 15, 2010

DIY Recycled Crayons






DIY Toddler Friendly Crayons

Wet weather = toddlers getting stir crazy stuck indoors.

So how about gathering all left over crayon bits and creating different and exciting new shapes. Think moustaches, alphabet letters or numbers, hearts, anything available in baking tins. Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl.You don't have to stick to just one colour - try different colour combinations like blue and white. They can also make great party favours!!

Tools and Materials
  • Kitchen knife
  • Old crayons
  • Mini-cake tins (that you don't mind getting wax in)
  1. Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Use perhaps a cork cutting board - it will be hard to get the wax out and they are quite hard to break!
  2. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs.
  3. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop out.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Crazy Crayons - Martha Stewart Kids
We have a  million broken crayons around here and I'm constantly tossing them! I follow this super cute Australian blog,
and found this ever so useful recycling idea for your old crayons! Its super easy, even little ones can help. Enjoy! Cj