Turn a box of old broken crayons into new ones with this easy DIY recycled crayons project. You can make them any size or shape!
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This post was originally published in 2013 on our other site, One Mama’s Daily Drama.
Making recycled crayons is fun and easy. Homemade crayons are a great way to turn old broken bits into something you can use. Today we’re teaching you how to make cool crayons in any shape you want.
All you need to make these recycled crayons is that bag of junky, broken crayons your child has been hiding under the desk. This is a project that you can do together. Since it involved the oven, adult supervision is necessary.
Handmade crayon craft tips
- Make your crayons by sorting like shades together or mixing them up. Combining too many colors will make crayons difficult to use without everything ending up brown. This works best when each crayon is no more than 3 or 4 colors, depending on size.
- Crayons won’t expand while baking, but be careful not to overfill each mold shape.
- While this craft is perfect for old broken bits, you can use new crayons and snap them into pieces.
- You can make recycled crayons with any brand, but just like with the originals, better quality crayons work best.
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How to make recycled crayons
Supplies
- crayons
- silicon muffin cups or other mold shapes
- baking sheet
- wood toothpicks, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the crayons.
Start by peeling off all of the paper labels. Then break the crayons into smaller pieces by hand. They do not have to all be the same size but do need to be small enough to fit several inside your mold.
2. Fill the silicone molds.
Divide the broken crayons into the 12 cups in a silicon muffin pan, about half filled. We made 6 mixed and 6 sorted. If you have enough broken crayons, this is a great experiment to see which combinations turn out best.
3. Bake the crayons.
Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the silicon mold on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. If they’re not melting evenly, you may need to stir them with a wood toothpick or rotate the pan.
Watch them closely so you can pull the pan out as soon as the wax is almost completely melted. A few lumps are fine, but the crayons should be mostly liquid.
4. Cool and remove.
Allow the baking sheet and mold to cool completely. When it is room temperature, turn the mold over and press on the cups to pop out the crayons.
Once you’ve removed the recycled crayons from the mold, they’re ready to color. Grab your favorite coloring pages or activity sheets and have fun!
Printable instructions
Recycled Crayons
Materials
- crayons
- silicon muffin cups or other mold shapes
- baking sheet
- wood toothpicks, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the crayons.
Start by peeling off all of the paper labels. Then break the crayons into smaller pieces by hand. They do not have to all be the same size but do need to be small enough to fit several inside your mold. - Fill the silicone molds.
Divide the broken crayons into the 12 cups in a silicon muffin pan, about half filled. We made 6 mixed and 6 sorted. If you have enough broken crayons, this is a great experiment to see which combinations turn out best. - Bake the crayons.
Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the silicon mold on a baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. If they're not melting evenly, you may need to stir them with a wood toothpick or rotate the pan. Watch them closely so you can pull the pan out as soon as the wax is almost completely melted. A few lumps are fine, but the crayons should be mostly liquid. - Cool and remove.
Allow the baking sheet and mold to cool completely. When it is room temperature, turn the mold over and press on the cups to pop out the crayons.
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