Whenever we have lots of crayons stubs that are too small to use, we gather them up and make crayon cakes. The kids love to do this.
What you’ll need:
- crayons (I use broken ones, but you could use new ones)
- glitter (optional)
- muffin tin (one that you don’t mind getting a little crayon on. If you don’t have a muffin tin todevote to crayon making, you can line your regular muffin tin with foil cups.)
- exacto knife
Peel off any paper from thecrayons (I use an exacto knife) and break them into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces. This is a great sorting activity for children. They can sort the crayons by color and size. They can even mix the primary colors that will melt to make new colors.
Preheat your oven to 265 degrees F. After allowing the kids to experiment with color and size, arrange two to three like colors in each slot. If you want to add glitter, pour it over the top of each slot full of crayon. Bake for 6-8 minutes (don’t over bake – you want them just melted so you can’t distinguish the crayon shape anymore). Let them cool completely and then they should pop right out
1st Variation: use a shaped silicone muffin tin that’s been lined with tin foil.
2nd Variation: instead of using a muffin tin, use a small paper cups, and microwave them on high for 4 – 6 minutes. Pour the melted wax into candy molds, and freezer for 30 minutes. Once the wax has hardened, your new crayons will pop out of the molds.
They also make great party favors, back to school gifts or gift toppers!
