Recycling crayons

What to do with all your naked, broken bits of crayons? 

Remove all remaining paper and divide equally into muffin tins lined with paper cups.  You can sort by color, color family, complementary/contrasting shades, camoflauge, or try a rainbow effect!

Place tins into a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes or so until the crayons have melted completely.  Remove from oven and let cool at least an hour.  Carefully remove paper cup liners.

The end result are colorful disc-shaped crayons, perfect for making rubbings of found nature objects or any other type of coloring where a variegated hue enhances the piece. 

(Isn’t that the way you describe your toddlers’ scribblings?)

A fun activity to do with kids one afternoon.  And they make cute party favors as well - wrap a couple in a colored cellophane bag and tie with ribbon!

Oh, and you can also display them in a lovely hors devours dish so that your mother-in-law thinks they're edible.

Comments

[jwg]

To quote the wonderful Bev Bos, "Don't Move the Muffin Tins". If you do before the things have cooled and solidified you get muddy colors.

[shiera]

that looks like a lot of fun... and very cute outputs, too! :D

[Crazy Daisy]

very fun idea!

[joanie]

Love the idea of the muffin papers - it makes it look so much easier than making them in tins.

[Deb]

This is exactly what I needed to find today, as I sit here surrounded by broken crayons of all shapes and colors.

Thanks!