Valentine idea to make for children

If you have children, then you have plenty of broken or partially used old crayons like the ones you see here.  Don't just throw them away, you can make fun shaped crayons your kids and their friends will love.  Just take a look at the ones I made for Valentines Day.  It works great for school , friends and they are a good alternate to candy!  Wonderful idea for birthday party bags, Christmas, Easter, etc.       

First, you will want to gather unwanted crayons.  Reach out to friends too.  Then remove paper wrapping and sort by color.   I like to reuse soup, fruit & vegetable cans for this.  Make sure the cans are washed and dried.    Fill the cans with like colors about 1/3rd to 1/2 full.

Place the cans in an 8x 8" pan (the deeper the better) filled about half full with water.  Place this pan on top of the stove on low heat until crayons are melted.  You may have to stir and some crayons will melt at different rates due to their composition.    I like to use bamboo skewers for stirring.

When hey are ready, they will look like the picture on the right.  Use a pot holder, "ove-glove" or some other protective holder to pick up the cans as they and the wax therein will be HOT.  Carefully pour into your mold and allow to cool.  After a few minutes you may notice a "well" or dip in the middle of the crayon created as it cools.  You can do a second pour  to level this out.

I like to use molds like these for crayons.  They are silicone ice cube trays and can be found at any "Dollar Store, " etc.  These work great as they make it easy to get the crayon out. If you have any difficulty removing the crayons, just put the tray in your freezer for a few minutes and they should pop right out.  Take an assortment of a few colors and put in a treat back or wrap with tissue and curling ribbon.  You can also give it with an activity book or coloring page, etc.

This craft also works for partially used candles.  Just add a wick shortly after you pour the melted candles.

Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless.  If you come up with a cute twist, please send me photos of your creation and I will share with everyone.

**********It should go without saying, but NEVER LEAVE CRAYONS Or CANDLES on ANY HEAT SOURCE UNATTENDED!  This craft is meant for ADULTS, or to be done with ADULT SUPERVISION.  **********************