2.28.2008

Crayon Colorfulness Rediscovered

Mommies . . . teachers . . . don't throw away those broken crayons!!!


We like to do art projects around here, so two mornings ago before Maia was even up from bed, Noah and I began taking wrappers off of broken crayons. He thought that was pretty cool to do that with mommy without Maia even being up. :c) Our plan was to make NEW crayons with the old ones. He thought that was even "cooler". (His new word these days.)

We filled up a mini muffin pan with different colors and then put the pan in the oven on 250 degrees. In just about 15 minutes, the crayons were getting good and melted. I thought they were pretty enough to take a picture of in the oven.


After taking off about two dozen wrappers or more, I came to a conclusion that crayola wrappers are definitely the easiest for taking off rather than any others. {Note to file fellow mommies who want to attempt this (fun, I swear!) project.}

Once they appear good and melted, take them out . . . carefully, of course. (And don't they look snazzy?)

I thought "okay, we could either wait all day for these to firm up or I could do it the 'quick way'". When you have kids, there is really no other choice but to do it the "quick way", so . . . into the freezer they went!

Here they are after coming out of the oven prior to going into the freezer. . .



. . . and here they are after they came out. So pretty and colorful, aren't they?!



A couple of them broke, but aren't they cool broken with all the colorful layers showing? (I thought so, but then again, you know how I feel about color!)


Best thing about the project is, it's sooo easy, not too messy, and it keeps the kids busy for a while. (We all know the "keeping busy" part is the best part of all!) Mine loved 'em! And when they were all done, I put them in a pretty glass container to sit out. They're too pretty not to put out. And Noah is pretty proud of them. He couldn't wait to show daddy when he got home. :c)

12 comments:

Missy!! said...

You can also do that in the summer.. let the sun do it! Way cool! Were they melted just right, so as your kiddos colored, they got changing colors? We use to do that at the day care all the time.. way fun!! :)

MP said...

Did you have to spray the pan or did they just pop out when they were cooled?

Corie said...

What a fun, creative Mommy you are! :)

Our Home Schooler and Jen said...

thanks for this Val
Im going to book mark and use it sometime
Jen

Unknown said...

missy, the kids did get all kinds of colors when they colored. They love it!

mp, yes, they just popped right out! You probably could use some sort of spray or butter but I'm not sure how that would interact with wax?? Do you know? I used a non-stick muffin pan (it's a Pampered Chef pan, actually).

Louise said...

That is SOOO cool! I so have to try that!!

Michelle said...

Fun stuff! We're going to try it...someday!

Jamie said...

Val, what a great idea!! I have that pan so I could do that for sure!! And I am forever tossing out broken crayons. Hannah refuses to use once broken.

Aimée said...

Val, you are so darn creative! Someday when I have kiddos, I am definitely going to do that!!!

Chel said...

That is fabulous! I keep trying to think of what the next holiday party will be at Eliza's daycare, so I can send those as my favors instead of candy.

mama2dibs said...

I remember doing that as a kid. I am just waiting for enough broken crayons to do it with Libby.

Victoria Martin said...

what a great idea! Another fun thing to do with broken crayons is melt them between sheets of waxed paper & then tape inside a black construction paper "frame". Hang in front of a window & you've got a kid version of stained glass. Make the frames into different shapes if you want. :)