How to Make Your Own Crayons

Recycling is a great way to get in one saving the planet, and reusing is one way to recycle the things we would normally throw into the trash. Over the years, we've gone through so many boxes of crayons I can't even count them and instead of throwing away broken or rejected crayons, I saved them all in a shoebox and eventually I had enough loose crayons to make a whole new set of crayons for my kids!

It's easy, and it's fun, and by getting the kids involved you can teach them a lesson in "Waste Not, Want Not" as well as about the importance of keeping the earth clean and our environment healthy. All you need are a large bundle of loose crayons and some candy molds. You'll need to use molds that can withstand heat as they are going to go into the oven, so ice cube trays or plastic trays are out. You can generally find candy molds at your local craft store.

Unwrap and remove all traces of loose paper from your crayons and decide if you want solid, multi-colored or just a few colors mixed together and separate them accordingly into large Ziploc bags. I like to use colors of the same family, like different shades of greens, blues, reds/pinks, purple, yellow/orange, etc. Once all of your colors are separated, gently smash the bags until the pieces are coarsely chopped, you want some thick pieces in with mostly medium sized chunks.

Next, preheat your oven to the lowest setting you have, on my oven it's 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Then continue on and fill your candy molds with the crayon pieces. I like to use candy molds in the shape of trains and trucks, farm animals, the alphabet and numbers, as well as holiday themes. You want to fill them to the top, but don't let any crayon lay on the side on the mold or tin, it creates an uneven surface when set. Bake them for 5-10 minutes until softened and slightly melted, then turn your oven off and leave the mold in the oven to cool overnight. If you remove them, you'll blend the colors together when the tray shakes. For cool, different colored crayons leave them overnight to cool and remove them from the molds the next day.

To store, simply toss them in a plastic container or a plastic bag. You can create endless color combinations, and you'll feel better about not throwing away all those old crayons!