Kids Craft : Make Your Own Shaped Crayons

Do you like to make things with your kids? My daughter has been asking to “do crafts” during brother’s nap time lately, and I love it! (That’s my girl!) I try to think of a little project we can work on together in the afternoons that’s simple and not too time-consuming. These DIY shaped crayons are the perfect kids craft!

Supplies needed:

crayons (I used a generic brand – you may have better color results with Crayola)
sharp knife & cutting board
silicone mold or muffin tin

Gather up all those broken crayon pieces and peel off the wrappers. Kids can do this step while you start chopping the crayons into small pieces. {I should note that this project has some steps that are obviously for parents!} I actually used some brand-new ones too – but since crayons are SO cheap right now for back to school you can do it without breaking the bank!

I kept all mine separated by color (thank you, OCD) before putting the pieces in the mold.

The silicone star mold we used is from JoAnn’s. It can withstand up to 500º and is oven/freezer safe. You can also use a muffin tin that is lightly sprayed with cooking spray. The silicone molds don’t need any prep. Fill up the molds (only needs to be about 1/2 way) with your crayon pieces. We wanted a star with a different color on each point, so my daughter helped me carefully put one color in at a time.

All the scrap pieces went into the last mold to make a multi-color swirled effect. Put the mold on a cookie sheet and bake at 250º for 10-15 minutes. Here’s where you can experiment! Depending on your crayons brand and the size of the chopped pieces, you can try a lower or higher temp and watch the baking time. If the crayons melt too fast they will bleed together more.

When they are completely melted, remove from oven and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. You can also speed up the process by putting the mold in the freezer. When they are completely hard, pop the crayons out of the mold and get to colorin’!

I love how these turned out! They would make a great and inexpensive gift or just a fun surprise for your own kids. What projects are you working on with your kiddos this summer?