For some reason, I can’t stand crayons that aren’t perfect. We had a box full of broken, unwrapped, sample-sized and other misfit crayons and I wanted no part of them. They had to go, I hated them. But I loved the idea of making something new, useful even from these throw-aways.
Make studs out of these duds!
I’ve seen countless pins on pinterest on how to make heart-shaped crayons using your own sliced-and-diced bits and pieces. This is what worked for me. I found this Wilton Ruffled 6 Cavity Silicone Heart Mold. Originally, I wanted the plain non-ruffle version, and this was all that was left, but it was kismet because they look way cooler with the added detail.
Then I gathered all of those losers, removed any paper (after carefully scoring) and then got down with my chopping knife.
Here is the part where you can include the kids. Emma liked choosing and adding the different colors to the molds.
In the oven they went. Everyone’s ovens vary but for me it took about 23 minutes inside a 250-degree oven for all of the wax to melt. After that time I let the pan sit on the counter for a few before placing it in the freezer for a good 10 minutes. I was surprised how easily the new crayons popped out and how pretty they were. Emma’s classmates are going to love these; If they didn’t, they’d be cray-cray (tee-hee!).
There are many examples online where crafters have glued the crayon heart to the valentine, but I really wanted to bag these. Initially I had planned on purchasing cello favor bags and then stapling a card/tab to the top, but then I found these awesome heart-adorned zip bags at the dollar store. 40 for a dollar – can’t beat that! You can add a tag, note, or slip a paper valentine right into the bag along with the heart. There are many cute phrases to include. My favorites:
“You color my world.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, for “crayon” out loud.”
“You Make My Day Colorful.”
“My heart belongs to you.”
“Color me your Valentine.”
These DIY crayons can be tailored to fit any holiday or occasion with the right shape mold (make sure it’s silicone/flexible) and colors. I’ve seen many valentine’s examples using red, pink and white but I really like the rainbow effect. If you’ve got tons of misfit crayons and a little time, this is a budget-friendly craft that also makes a great gift!
Originally published on Feb 13, 2013)
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