Uses for Broken Crayons

Coloring with crayons is one of the most treasured memories of childhood, and breaking a brand new crayon can be heartbreaking for a small child. Next time your kids break a crayon, tell your kids not to fret. There are many fun and creative uses for broken crayons. Ideas and uses range from making beautiful craft projects to turning old broken crayons into fun and colorful new crayons.

Crayons aren't exactly cheap; so don't throw away your kid's old broken crayons. If your looking for uses for a collection of broken crayons, try the following craft projects with your kids, and consider the other great uses listed here. These ideas and uses for old broken crayons are so much fun you'll be waiting for the new crayons to break. No one will believe these fun craft projects for kids were made using old crayons, and you'll recycle useful things that would otherwise end up in the trash.

Rainbow Discs

Turn your kid's old broken crayons into fun rainbow colored discs. Have your kids help remove the paper from their old broken crayons, and randomly arrange them in paper lined muffin tins.

Heat them in a 250-degree oven until the wax is melted and smooth. Let the discs cool completely inside the paper lined muffin tin. After they're cool, peel back the paper, and give your kids colorful crayon discs made from their old broken crayons.

Do your kids love glitter crayons? Help your kids make a set of rainbow glitter discs by having them sprinkle glitter in the muffin cups before placing them in the oven. The finished rainbow discs will be embellished with flecks of shiny glitter.

Fancy Candles

Candle decorating is just one of the many uses for discarded crayons. You and your kids can have fun turning plain white taper candles into candles of many colors. While heating water in a pan, have your kids unwrap old crayons. Place them in a clean, tall metal can. The can will serve as a disposable double boiler.

Just before the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat, and place the can of crayons into the pan. Give the crayons time to melt, and don't make the mistake of stirring them. Blending a variety of colors will result in a solid color that's not very pretty.

After the crayons have melted, carefully dip plain white taper candles into the colored wax. The plain white candles will now be covered with a rainbow of beautiful colors, and you'll turn plain white candles into something new and exquisite.

Sandpaper Art

Kids love these fun and easy sandpaper creations. Give your kids sheets of course sandpaper, and encourage them to make designs on the sandpaper with their old crayons. Place the finished sandpaper creations on a foil lined baking sheet, and place them in the oven on a low setting. Heat the sandpaper pictures until the wax melts and fills in the tiny crevices. Your kids will love the finished designs, and it's a great way to use what's left of broken crayons.

Stained Glass Art

This is a craft project that kids really love, and it's one of the most fun and creative uses for old broken crayons. The finished pictures are exceptionally impressive. Crayon shavings between sheets of waxed paper give the appearance of beautiful stained glass.

Have your kids sharpen old crayons to create shavings of many colors, and provide them with disposable cups or paper muffin tin liners to hold the shavings. The more shavings they create the better.

Rip off a sheet of waxed paper, and fold it in half. Instruct your kids to sprinkle the shavings in the middle of the folded waxed paper. After the waxed paper is filled with a layer of crayon shavings, fold the waxed paper once again.

Cover the waxed paper with a sheet of aluminum foil, and heat the foil-covered waxed paper with a warm iron. The melted crayon shavings between the sheets of waxed paper will create beautiful designs that look similar to stained glass.

Let the melted wax cool, and after it has cooled, have the kids cut the crayon filled waxed paper into fanciful shapes. Encourage them to cut out pretty flowers, butterflies, racecars, or anything else they can dream up.