We really took advantage of the season with this project! Everyone has hot cars right now, so we put all that heat to work for us.
You will need:
- Broken crayons
- Ice cube mold
Good to have:
- A support tray, such as a cookie sheet or piece of cardboard
- Paper towels
- Non-stick cooking spray
The Project:
Break up some crayons into small pieces and put them in a fun shaped ice cube tray. We put it in the car and let the crayons heat up until they melted. Let them cool and harden, then pop them out of the tray and you have some awesome summer crayons!
Tips:
- Since I am impatient, I put them in the freezer until they hardened, rather than letting them cool on their own. Sadly, the edges cooled too quickly and resulted in a raised ridge around that edge, with the center of the crayons sunken in. Instead, I suggest letting them rest in warm water overnight so that they slowly cool with the water and solidify nice and evenly across the top.
- Ice cube trays are pretty easily found right now. Look for large, open shapes, such as hearts and the citrus slices. Check Target’s Dollar Spot for the stars and citrus slices in my picture. (The citrus slices were the better of the two, in my opinion, because the tips of the stars broke off really easily.)
- Here is something I learned after doing this project multiple times: if you soak the crayons in cold water for a while, the wrappers practically fall off with little to no effort! Wish I’d known this a few months ago! Until recently, we’d been slowly unwrapping each crayon’s tedious paper every time we sat down to do it.
- To clean out the molds, spray them with non-stick cooking spray (I have the kind with flour in it) and wipe them clean with paper towels. Some colors will stain permanently, so be prepared to dedicate these molds to crafts only.
- Rubber molds will get soft and flexible, so it is a VERY good idea to put a support tray under the mold BEFORE melting the crayons. Also, I do not recommend using the rubber trays in the oven or toaster oven; they melt. Trust me.
