Recycled Crayons!

This past school year I needed black Chunk-o Crayons for the Art Docent Program. Chunk-o's are extra chunky crayons that work really well when your making a "rubbing" of a leaf under a sheet of paper. I found out quickly that these crayons are pricey, and with a tight program budget, there was no way I could afford to purchase them this year. We made do using plain crayons and the art projects turned out great, but as for ordering those pricey crayons, I thought there has to be a better way...

Sure enough, after a little internet research, I found that you could easily recycle crayons into a variety of shapes.

Check out how below.

STEP ONE
First, sort your crayons by color and remove all the paper.

As you can see, we had a TON of crayons.

STEP TWO
Place like-color crayons in a clean tin can with it's label removed. Set a saucepan filled with 1-2 inches of water over low-medium heat. When the water is simmering, place the tin can in inside.

Note: The water in the pan will evaporate quickly. Be sure to continually add water so it always remains 1-2 inches deep.

The crayons will begin to melt almost immediately. Use a plastic spoon to stir the mixture and ensure that all the crayons have melted.

Note: Occasionally you'll come across a really stubborn crayon that just won't melt. Just scoop it up with your spoon and toss it so you can proceed.

STEP THREE
Once melted, carefully remove the can from the pan. Beware: The can will be very hot. Let the can sit for 30-60 seconds or so, and then use the spoon to carefully fill your molds. I purchased these flexible molds at IKEA. They were super cheap, and because they're made out of silicone, you can easily pop the crayons out when they harden.

STEP FOUR
Dry time, or the time it takes for the crayons to harden, is approximately 10-15 minutes at room temperature. If you want to speed up the process, try placing the filled molds in the refrigerator, or even the freezer, for 3-5 minutes.

Once hard, just pop the new crayons out and give the molds a quick wipe (I used a moist paper towel with a spray of Chlorox).

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. We ended up with dozens of colorful fish, and then we got a little fancier and made layered crayons too (see the flowers above).

LAYERED CRAYONS
To layer crayons, just select your mold and spoon a small amount of melted crayon into each mold. Allow to harden before laying another color, and then another. Keep in mind that thin layers are best, as the molds are small and fill up fast.

THE POSSIBILITIES...
are endless!

Try these color combos:

• Rainbow crayons
• Sky or Ocean Crayons (Various shades of blue)
• Princess Crayons (think pink, white, purple, & red)

TIPS
After I began melting my crayons, I realized I would need a lot of tin cans for the project (Note: Don't bother trying to clean a can once you've melted crayon in it. The crayon will NOT come out!) . Then I realized that an easier solution would be to melt all the crayons in the same can, just being careful to melt them in a specific color sequence. For example, I started melting the yellow crayons first. Then, using the same can with yellow remnants inside, I melted the orange crayons, then the red, then the purple, then blue, green, and finally brown.

Using the plastic spoon works great in filling the molds. It may seem tedious, but if you have a steady hand it makes for a clean transfer. Once you've emptied about 60% of the melted crayon from the can, you can begin pouring the contents directly from the can into the mold. Be forewarned though, the molds are small and they fill up quickly.

WARNING!
Remember, after using the molds to make crayons, do not use them to prepare ice cubes!