DIY Crayons

I have two young kids. (I'm pretty sure I've mentioned them on the blog once or twice.) As a result, I have lots of broken crayons. Lots and lots of broken crayons. But I'm too cheap frugal to throw them away, so I googled "make crayons" and wouldn't you know, hundreds of smart mommas (and some daddies) have posted instructions for melting down old crayons and making new ones. I took bits and pieces from different sites, and the whole process was easy peasy.

Supplies:
Molds - I used these silicone molds from IKEA. Only $0.99 each!

Crayons

Instructions:

1. Peel the paper off the crayons. This was the most time-consuming step, but it got faster after I started using a knife to pre-cut. Then the girl just ripped it off.

2. Break the crayons into small pieces. The kids LOVED this part.
3. Fill the molds.

4. Melt in the oven at 225ºF for 10 - 15 minutes.

5. Allow to harden at room temperature for at least two hours. We left the house to run errands, so I don't know exactly how long before the crayons are completely hard and ready to use.

6. Carefully (or not) pop them out the silicone molds.

7. Enjoy!

That's it! And it cost me a total of $4, because I bought four different molds. Don't plan on using them for anything else. It's impossible to get the crayon wax off the molds. Did I mention they're just $0.99?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go.

Worst part, peeling off the paper.

The girl was very deliberate about which colors went into each mold. The boy, not so much.

Waiting patiently....

The finished product! The fin tail broke off every. single. fish. But the kids don't care and it has a nice point for drawing, so I'll probably use that mold again. The flowers and hearts are great for coloring.