How to Melt Crayons With an Iron

Use brightly colored crayons for the best results.

Save your child's broken or worn down crayon pieces to re-purpose into a brilliant work of art. Create an illusion of stained glass to hang from your kitchen window using this technique. Or, turn an otherwise standard homemade card into a one-of-a-kind creation by adding a swirled concoction of melted crayons to the cover. Encourage your child to assist you with this craft by preparing the crayons for melting, but make sure you are the one at the helm of the iron.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup crayons
• Crayon sharpener
• Paper cups
• Cheese grater
• Old towel
• Wax paper
• Iron

Instructions

1. Peel any paper from 1 cup of crayons.

2. Use a crayon sharpener to whittle down crayons that are long and thin enough to fit in the shaving instrument. Collect the shavings in a paper cup. Shave down crayon nubs or broken pieces using a cheese grater. Add these shavings to a paper cup as well. Use separate cups for the different colors that you are shaving.

3. Cover your work surface with an old towel to protect the surface from the hot iron.

4. Spread a 12-by-12-inch sheet of wax paper on the towel. Sprinkle the crayon shavings in the center of the wax paper in a 1/4-inch-thin layer; you can arrange the shavings by dividing the different colors or mix the shavings together depending on your preference.

5. Cover the crayons with another 12-by-12-inch sheet of wax paper.

6. Heat your iron to the medium setting. Place the hot iron over the top of the wax paper, and press gently while moving the iron continuously over the surface of the paper. Continue ironing the crayon-filled wax paper until the crayons are completely melted.

7. Allow the wax paper to cool. Cut the paper to size to use for crafts as homemade paper or artificial stained glass or display as is.

Tips & Warnings

• Try melting metallic-hued crayons for a silver or gold-tinted creation.

• Heat the crayons in a well-ventilated space since unpleasant fumes may be released.

References

• Super Activities: Children's Crayon Melt Pictures
• Kaboose: Melted Crayon Stained Glass Window
• Family Time; Make Your Own Crayons; Barbara Albright