Most restaurants provide my 2-year-old crayons as a distraction while we attempt to eat . Due to the kind gesture, I end up with countless colors under the couch, at the bottom of my purse and scattered throughout the car.
Instead of storing scores of broken crayons in a lonely kitchen drawer I create an imaginative, clever crayon for my toddler.
Here’s a creative way to recycle old and/or broken crayons:
Step #1: Gather crayons. You can use new crayons too but that would defeat the purpose of recycling. A thrift store is a great place to find crayons for little money.
Step #2: Peel off crayon wrappers.
Step #3: Divide crayons with like colors.
Step #4: Place crayons in a paper cup. Heat in microwave at 50% power, stirring the crayons every minute or so. It will take 3-4 minutes for the crayons to completely melt.
Step #5: Pour the melted crayon into a mold of your choice until it hardens for about 5-10 minutes. I found 3 molds at my local Goodwill.
Step #6: Pop crayon out of mold.
WaaLaa!
These crayons also make fabulous gifts or party favors for little ones.
Tip: To produce layers, fill the mold half way and let harden. Pour another color on top of the hardened crayon and let harden. Repeat the process until mold is full.
Slangshot 