How to Make Crayons From Broken Ones

Broken crayons don't have to become trash.

Crayons are a common art medium for kids around the world. The colorful wax sticks are easy to use and easy to break. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune buying new crayons to replace the damaged ones. Keep things low-cost and earth-friendly by making new crayons from your old broken ones.

Things You'll Need

• Broken crayons
• Small bowls
• Knife
• Muffin tin
• Non-stick spray
• Wax paper
• Paper towel

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

2. Remove any paper wrapping from the broken crayons. Separate the crayons by color into small bowls. Remove any dirt or bits of food that may cling to the crayon chunks.

3. Pour the crayons from one of the bowls onto a chopping surface. Chop the crayons into chunks no bigger than 1/4-inch. Place the chopped crayons back in the bowl before proceeding with the next color group.

4. Clean and dry an old muffin tin. Coat each muffin cup with an even layer of non-stick cooking spray, making sure to coat both the bottom and sides of each cup.

5. Pour one bowl of shavings into a muffin cup. Fill each cup no more than two-thirds full to prevent splatters and overflow as the wax melts in the oven.

6. Place the muffin tin in the oven and turn on the oven light. Let the crayons melt in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. Cook longer as needed to melt all the crayon bits, but remove the crayons from the oven if the wax starts bubbling.

7. Remove the muffin tins from the oven and place on a protected surface. Let the crayons and tin cool to room temperature. Flip the tin upside down over a piece of wax paper to remove each new crayon. Wipe the excess cooking spray from each crayon with a paper towel.

Tips & Warnings

• Use any oven-safe baking tins to make the crayons. Try mini quiche tins for small crayons or novelty muffin tins for shaped crayons. Mix different crayon chunks together in a single cup to create multi-colored crayons. You can also add the colored chunks in layers to create rainbow stripe crayons.

• Do not recycle toxic crayons, usually brands imported from countries without strict safety regulations, as they can contain harmful chemicals and should not be melted in your oven. Only non-toxic crayons are suitable for melting into new crayons.

• Do not use your favorite baking tins to make crayons. Although some dishes may not be harmed in the process, others may stain. Stick with old dishes when it comes to any craft so that if there are any problems, you can simply toss the item away.

References

• Planet Green; How to Make Bigger, Better Crayons from Broken Crayons; Elizabeth Seward; October 2008
• Crayola: At What Temperatures do Crayola Crayons Melt?
• Make and Takes; Recycled Chunky Crayons; Marie; September 2007