If you have kids, you have crayons! Kids and crayons seem to go hand and hand, and if your home is like most with little ones, you have an abundance of broken and discarded crayons in desperate search of a new home. Your first instinct may be to pitch these pieces of colorful wax, but hang on a second there. Take a look below at ways to use old or broken crayons and give those crayons a new and purposeful life.
Craft some summer bonfire starters.
Remove the paper and melt the crayons in a microwave safe dish. You can then pour the colorful wax over some dried pine cones. Place the pinecones in a bag until needed. When you are ready, just light the pinecone and toss it into your fire! These would also look decorative in a basket near the fireplace.
Make mini crayons.
Remove the paper and break up the crayons into bits. Use non stick spray to coat the inside of a muffin tin, then add the broken bits. Heat at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the bits are melted. Allow to cool, then pop out your newly formed mini crayons.
Make some instant wall art.
Peel the paper from the crayons and glue them to some canvas. Use a hair dryer to melt the wax and send it in all sorts of colorful directions. The end result is some excellent instant art! This is a craft kids will love.
Make your own paint.
Melt crayon bits into muffin tins (350 for about 10 minutes will do the trick) and use it to paint while it is still warm. Use paintbrushes, as the liquid will be too hot to touch the fingers.
Make some fossils.
Grab items in nature such as rocks, bark, and leaves. Press some paper over them and use the flat side of a crayon to rub over them. In seconds “fossils” will appear on your paper. Create rubbings using all sorts of textures.
Make a drawer slide.
If your drawers or doors are sticky, you can use the wax from crayons to make them slide. Just rub the crayon along the sticky joint and it will coat it, helping it slide along.
Make colorful shavings.
Run the crayons segments through a pencil sharpener to create some colorful shavings. You can then use them in collages and other artwork ideas. Chances are, your kids will find a million ways to use them.
See how many practical uses there are for old crayons? Give some of these ideas a try!
Make sure you check out some of our other craft ideas here at Imperfect Women.