Recycling crayons to make a variety of unique items that can fill up a boring afternoon or summer vacation. With a little adult supervision, broken pieces of crayon or shaved curls of colored wax become the basis for cool and creative crayon items, including dinner table art and magic blackboards.
A few extra materials are needed to make each project, including contact sheets and disposable microwave-safe dishes. Shaved crayon wax melts more quickly than chunks, so crafters should use an old manual pencil sharpener to grind pieces of crayon into piles of fine shavings.
Confetti Crayon Placemats
Use creative paper shapes, such as flowers or leaves cut from gift designs, to enhance the placemat design. Sprinkle the grated crayon in creative patterns in between the contact sheets, using a generous layer of glue to seal the edges.
Materials Needed:
- two clear plastic contact sheets
- scissors
- grated crayon wax
- tissue paper shapes
- craft glue, clear drying
The Steps:
- Peel or cut apart the contact sheets; lay one flat on the table. Spread the surface with a thin layer of glue if desired.
- Arrange the tissue paper designs across the surface of the wax paper, then sprinkle crayon wax in creative designs around the wax paper and its edges.
- Place the second sheet of contact paper on top. Use a long beaded line of glue following the inside edges to seal the sheets together.
For an interactive placemat, omit the glue spread across the first contact sheet, sealing only the edges. When the two sheets are tightly sealed together, the sprinkled crayons and paper designs can be "shaken up" and laid flat again to form new patterns.
Magic Chalkboard
Kids love to create a magic chalkboard using old crayons to cover sheets of paper. It's also one of the simplest crayon concepts, making it an easy choice for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners in need of a fun project.
Materials Needed:
- colored crayons (variety)
- one large black crayon
- one sheet of paper
- one white crayon
- one large-tipped stylus
Take a blank sheet of paper and color wildly over its surface with a variety of colors, then cover the colors with a layer of solid black crayon. Use a large-tipped stylus to draw different designs on the "blackboard," peeling back the black crayon to reveal the marbleized sea of colors below.
Colorful Crayon Bars
Create unique crayons from melted colorful wax and heat-safe molds. Use old candy molds to form the wax and create unique crayon shapes, from hearts and teddy bears to sea shells and Santa Claus. Use soft synthetic molds for easy removal or freeze the warm crayon-filled metal molds for easy removal.
Materials Needed:
- colored crayons, grated or shaved
- one microwave
- one microwave-safe container (disposable or craft variety)
- candy molds
The Steps:
- Remove paper wrappings from the crayon shavings. Divide by color or mix together for a creative combination.
- Place the shavings in a microwave-safe container (one designated for craft use) and place in the microwave.
- Heat the crayons until the wax begins to melt; remove the liquid and pour quickly into molds.
- Repeat to melt colors separately, pouring each layer over the previous one to create rainbow-themed crayons.
- Once the wax has cooled, pry the new crayons from their molds.
Crayon crafts offer the appeal of a kid-favored plaything combined with hands-on creativity. Make old crayons into new keepsakes with a variety of crayon crafts that will rival the fun of opening a brand-new box of colors.
Sarah Briggs - For the last two years, I have designed primitive dolls and folk art sculptures (such as Edwin Drood and the Ghost of Marley) for Cordwood ...
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