A Kids' Craft With a Pie Pan and Crayons

Crayons don't stay this perfect for long.

Let’s face it: Kids go through a lot of crayons. Most kids color in coloring books, though some budding Michelangelos might opt for doodling on the nearest wall. Whatever medium they choose, crayon enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels often find themselves with a bunch of broken crayons and unusable nubs. You don’t have to throw away all those little crayon pieces. Gather them up for projects you and your child can do with a pie pan.

Arranging the Pieces

With a pie pan (preferably disposable), an oven and a handful or two of crayon fragments, you can create your own rainbow crayon. Set the oven to 150 degrees. As the oven heats, arrange the crayon bits in the pie pan, removing any paper labels. Place the pie pan in the oven and leave it in for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully take the pan out of the oven when all the wax is melted. Once the wax is cooled, remove it from the pan and break it into manageable pieces.

Creating Fun Shapes

Instead of breaking the wax into irregular-shaped pieces, use a warm knife to cut through at regular intervals. If the wax is not too thick, you can cut through it with a warmed metal cookie cutter. If you are using metal cookie cutters that have a large plastic grip along the top edge, children can do the cutting. In this case, warm the cutters in hot water and make sure the handles are not too warm before giving them to children. However you cut the finished crayon, take it out of the pie plan first.

Using Miniature Pie Pans

Use miniature pie pans to make multiple, smaller crazy crayons and eliminate the need for cutting. Give each child her own pie pan and a small handful of crayon bits. Let her arrange the colors however she likes.

Giving Crazy Crayons as Gifts

Crazy crayons make ideal gifts for day care providers, preschool teachers and other children. Have the children experiment with different color combinations. For example, try using only two or three colors at a time. Or place the crayon bits in order of the color spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

References

• Martha Stewart: How-To Crazy Crayons