Learn how to make DIY crayons that you can customize for any occasion! By upcycling broken crayons, you can transform them into fun party favors or Valentine’s Day treats!
Date nights around here usually involve the local pizza place, a kids’ menu, and a packet of crayons.
I have a love/hate relationship with crayons. On the one hand, they entertain my kids while we wait for dinner. On the other hand, they roll on the floor, or between the sticky vinyl booth seat and the wall, and then end up in a child’s pocket.
Once in a child’s pocket, they end up in the laundry.
And let me tell you, you do not want crayons in your dryer.
After a horrid dryer incident a few weeks ago, I rounded up all the broken or cheap restaurant crayons and set out to make some DIY crayons as little Valentine’s Day treats for my kids’ classrooms. They also make great party favors.
Supplies to Make DIY Crayons from Old Crayons
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Making DIY crayons is a great project to do with your kids. That is until they realize that it actually takes some time to do. This is an easy craft project but set aside an hour or two and learn from my mistakes. Here’s what you need to make DIY crayons:
- Broken crayons
- Silicone mold with small shapes
- Baking sheet
- Meat mallet or rolling pin
- Zip-lock plastic bag
How to Make Homemade Crayons with a Silicone Mold
Step 1: Peel, Crack, and Sort
The most time-consuming (and strangely therapeutic) part of making DIY crayons is peeling away the wrappers. Sure, there were plenty of crayons already undressed by my daughter, but we – or really, I – had to remove wrappers from several others in order to have enough for the project.
At this point, my son abandoned the project in favor of a Perler bead creation, which is also tedious but apparently more interesting.
Tip: Try carefully slicing the paper with a craft knife or soaking the crayons in warm water to loosen the paper. Otherwise, you will have crayon jammed under your fingernails for the rest of the day.
Next, crack the crayons into smaller pieces and sort them any way you like. We chose to sort them by color groups: red/orange/yellow, blue/green/teal, pink/purple, black/brown/white/gray/peach.
Step 2: Smash old crayons
Ready to release all your frustrations? Grab a meat tenderizer and prepare to pulverize some crayons!
My method: Place the crayons on a cutting board, cover the crayons with plastic wrap, and go to town on them with the tenderizer.
Better method: Put the crayons in a zip-lock bag before you smash them, because
- The bag will eliminate all possibility of tiny crayon bits flying around your kitchen.
- Crayon bits will not be permanently embedded in your cutting board.
Step 3: Melt Crayons in the Oven with a Silicone Mold
Set your oven to 230F, and while it’s heating up pour your crayon bits into a silicone baking mold. Be sure to leave a little space at the top to avoid overflow, then bake the crayons for about 15 minutes until they are totally melted.
Tip: Place the mold on a cookie sheet before you put it in the oven so that it will be easier to remove (silicone pans are wobbly!).
Step 4: Cool the Melted Crayons
Set the mold on a wire rack and let your DIY crayons cool for about 45 minutes. Make sure that they are completely cool and hard before you remove them from the mold.
The easiest way to remove the crayons is to peel the mold away from the crayon.
The back of the crayons will be rough around the edges when you remove them from the mold, so rub them on a piece of paper to create a finished look.
Share or Keep
Homemade crayons make great non-candy party favors or Valentine’s Day treats! Silicone molds come in so many different shapes, so you’re sure to find one that matches your party’s theme or holiday. Here are a few ideas:
So next time your kids get a crayon packet at a restaurant, save it for another day when you can transform it into fun DIY crayons!
Check out these other ideas!
Natasha says
Can’t believe I’m grinning while reading a post about crayons! Such a good idea.
Aimee Somelofske says
My mother and I were just talking about finding an easy way to do this! There are ALWAYS.SO.MANY broken crayons! Thanks for the tips and the timeliness of this post 🙂
Laura says
Yay! If you try it let me know how they turn out!
Natasha says
Me again! We have these cool lego men trays which were sold for making ice cubes. They look remarkably like silicon. Is there a way of telling? Don’t want to wreck my oven!
Laura says
Hi Natasha! I sent you an email response, but will answer your question here, too, in case others would like to know. Silicone molds are a very soft, flexible material. On Amazon and other sites, they are often listed as ice-cube trays or candy molds. If your lego trays are hard plastic, don’t put them in the oven since they are probably NOT silicone. Hope this helps! 🙂
Ivory says
Beautiful idea. Love how the different color crayons turned out, fab!