How to Make Crayons With Crayon Bits

Make new crayons by recycling broken crayon pieces.

Making crayons with crayon bits is a practical way of recycling crayons that have been broken or worn down from use. Rather than throwing out the crayon bits, they are melted into new shapes. Older children enjoy making these new crayons as a craft project. Young children can also help make these and find them to be easier to use than their original size.

Things You'll Need

• Crayons (whole or pieces)
• Craft knife
• Muffin pan
• Oven
• Refrigerator

Instructions

1. Slice the outer paper of the crayons lengthwise with the craft knife. Peel off the papers from all the crayon bits.

2. Break up the crayon bits into small enough pieces to fit in the muffin pan. Pieces no longer than 1 inch in length work best.

3. Preheat the oven to 265 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Arrange the crayon bits into the muffin pan as desired, such as all green or red colors together, mixed colors or in color families. Fill the individual pans to the top for large crayons or halfway to make smaller crayons.

5. Place the muffin pan into the heated oven for approximately 6 minutes or until the crayon shapes have disappeared. Over-baking makes the colors blend too much.

6. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and allow the crayons to cool for 30 to 60 minutes or until solid.

7. Freeze the crayons in the refrigerator's freezer section for 30 minutes. This helps them to pop out of the muffin pan more easily.

8. Turn the muffin pan upside down and tap on its bottom until the crayons fall out.

Tips & Warnings

• New crayons can also be used when broken into bits.

• Use heart-shaped or mini muffin pans to make different shapes and sizes.

• Use caution during the melting process to prevent burns.

• Keep melted crayon from coming in contact with counter tops, wood surfaces and clothing to prevent staining.

References

• My Magic Mom: Crayon Nibbles
• Mississippi State University: Art Activities