One of my all time favorite things to do, is create homemade gifts. Crayons, candles, soap, stained glass, photo albums, you name it! For as long as I can remember, I have been crafting gifts for my parents, siblings, and friends. Heck! For one of my anniversaries while dating my (now) husband, I made him a table! A table! I spent weekends and evenings in my parent’s basement creating this one-of-a-kind round bedside table that I had been envisioning for months. To this day, he still keeps it at his bedside, happy sigh.
The homemade trend continued when I began teaching. For holidays and celebrations I would create small things for my students. I have just always felt that homemade things (no matter how imperfect) are very special. That changed a bit when I had kids though! While I still enjoy homemaking gifts as much as I can, I have learned that there are just not enough hours in the day for me to homemake everything and still give my family the attention they need.
So, I’ve settled for homemaking a few small things when possible and relying on sites like Amazon and Etsy for the rest! One thing that I still love to make myself? Molded crayons! Not only are they visually appealing and fun to receive; they are super easy to make too!
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Materials
- Old (or new) crayons
- silicone molds – Be sure to use silicone. Anything else will melt or not work well!
- Helpful and willing toddlers!
My toddlers love to help me make crayons. In fact, my 4 year old actually asks to peel every crayon that he sees so we can mold new ones, haha! And let me tell you, I use that enthusiasm to help with the crayon making process as often as possible!
Related: Do your kiddos love to create? Check this out for a fun and engaging time, over and over!
How To
Creating new and beautiful crayons is extremely simple once you get all of the crayons peeled. I would honestly make them weekly if we had enough crayons! Let’s break down the process:
1. Peel all of your crayons. I use my toddlers to help with this step. If your wrappers are stubborn, grab a THICK GLOVE* and a box cutter. Cut a vertical slit from the top to the bottom of the crayon paper. When the crayon wrappers are split open, hand them to your toddler to peel off.
*Be careful when using box cutters and ensure your child is a safe distance away. Only use box cutters if you have construction gloves that cannot be sliced by the blade. No one needs to take a trip to the Emergency Room because they were making crayons!
2. Once all of the crayons are peeled, break them into 3-4 pieces each. Another great toddler job!
3. Pull out your silicone mold and insert the crayon pieces. You can mix the colors up for a fun tie-dye effect. The crayons will cook down, so fill it more full than you think you need to. You can always add crayons while it is cooking if you want them to be bigger, as well!
4. Place your silicone mold on a cookie sheet and insert into a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your mold. *watch them so they don’t burn. Nobody likes the smell of burnt crayons!
5. When all of the crayons have melted, pull the tray out and let them cool for a bit.
6. When the tray is cool enough to handle, place it in the freezer until completely cooled.
7. Unmold each crayon and get to coloring!
Enjoy!
This is such a simple and fun activity for parties or play! Here are some of the ways that I have used them in the past:
- Party favors
- Halloween treats
- Christmas gifts
- Easter egg stuffers
- Classroom prizes/gifts
- Birthday presents – combined with a coloring book and other art supplies
- Addition to an alphabet sensory bin (when using the letter molds pictured)
- Simple coloring fun for my kiddos
Whichever way you choose to use your crayons, they will most definitely be well appreciated and a great way to add some fun to fine motor practice!
What kind of silicone mold will you use for your next crayon project?
Check out our Play Dough Sensory Bin for some more hands-on fun!
