Jump to content

Create a Free Account or Sign In to connect and share in green living and alternative energy forum discussions.

Crayon Techniques: Simple Idea with your Old Crayons

crayon recycling old crayons

 
38 replies to this topic

#1 joeldgreat

joeldgreat

    Regular

  • Pro Shifter
  • 162 posts 6 rep

Posted 19 December 2011 - 04:19 PM

Do you agree that used crayons should be thrown away if they are already used? How many of you kids are keeping old crayons? Why do you keep them? Let us find out more.

Old crayons are not supposed to be thrown away. There are still many functions that they can give us. Art, as you know, is exploring and discovering. We can still use the used crayons no matter how long or short they are. We have a opportunity to discover activities using anything. We can recycle things such as old crayons so that we can economize.

One creative art that you can do with old crayons is by melting and blowing. Melting a crayon and making an art is waiting for your attention. We will have a try doing it.

Materials to prepare

Old crayons, candle, match, oslo paper, old spoon and old newspaper

Procedure
  • Place the old newspaper in your working area.
  • Put the oslo paper over it.
  • Light the candle. Let it stand in a piece of wood or plastic.
  • Get one old crayon, put it in a spoon and melt it over the candle.
  • Once it melts, pour it onto the paper and blow hard till it spreads on the space.
  • Get another color and do the same procedure until all the spaces in the paper are almost filled up.
  • Examine your design. Think of an appropriate title.

There are more art things that you can do with old crayons, why not discover them though your own creativeness.

Source : My own Article >>> http://expertscolumn...ayon-techniques

#2 MakingCents

MakingCents

    Activist

  • Pro Shifter
  • 335 posts 23 rep

Posted 20 December 2011 - 09:23 AM

Another thing you can do is to melt the crayons down and make new crayons.  If you have scraps of say 5 blue crayons then melt them down, and put them into a mold to set up and then when they harden you have a brand new crayon.  Rather than throwing the little bits away save them and eventually make a new crayone with them.  

A lot of kids I know also LOVE to mix and match the crayons together for a swirly effect.

#3 anEgrahm

anEgrahm

    Curious

  • Shifter
  • 23 posts 1 rep

Posted 20 December 2011 - 03:54 PM

As MakingCents said, it's also pretty much the same with candles - instead of throwing them away, you can actually melt the candles and leave it to set back together to that you have a new stick of wax and a new candle. Not just kids, but anyone can do this stuff with crayons and candles (and I'm sure that there's something else I'm not thinking of).

#4 tigerlily78

tigerlily78

    Activist

  • Global Moderator
  • 250 posts 71 rep

Posted 20 December 2011 - 05:32 PM

I used to know skateboarders and aggressive inline skaters who would collect their moms' old candles for waxing their skateboards and ledges they intend to grind. They would remelt them into bars like soap.

#5 MakingCents

MakingCents

    Activist

  • Pro Shifter
  • 335 posts 23 rep

Posted 21 December 2011 - 07:53 PM

View PostanEgrahm, on 20 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

As MakingCents said, it's also pretty much the same with candles - instead of throwing them away, you can actually melt the candles and leave it to set back together to that you have a new stick of wax and a new candle. Not just kids, but anyone can do this stuff with crayons and candles (and I'm sure that there's something else I'm not thinking of).

What do you do about a wick for the 'new' candles?  Is that something you go buy and put it into the new candle.  I've thought about htis before with crayons and not candles but its' really the same concept.

#6 zararina

zararina

    Activist

  • Veteran Shifter
  • 660 posts 19 rep

Posted 21 December 2011 - 09:01 PM

I remember doing such activity of melting crayon and creating design on a paper when I was in grade school. That was cool since you can really create good designs specially if you are really artistic/creative.
We never just throw old crayons here since it can still be use no matter how short it is.

#7 tigerlily78

tigerlily78

    Activist

  • Global Moderator
  • 250 posts 71 rep

Posted 22 December 2011 - 07:14 AM

View PostMakingCents, on 21 December 2011 - 07:53 PM, said:

What do you do about a wick for the 'new' candles?  Is that something you go buy and put it into the new candle.  I've thought about htis before with crayons and not candles but its' really the same concept.

You can buy candle wicks to use, It usually costs somewhere between $1 - $2 for a dozen of them.

#8 makeitmom

makeitmom

    Curious

  • Shifter
  • 45 posts 2 rep

Posted 22 December 2011 - 11:51 AM

View PostanEgrahm, on 20 December 2011 - 03:54 PM, said:

As MakingCents said, it's also pretty much the same with candles - instead of throwing them away, you can actually melt the candles and leave it to set back together to that you have a new stick of wax and a new candle. Not just kids, but anyone can do this stuff with crayons and candles (and I'm sure that there's something else I'm not thinking of).

I used to do this all the time when I was a kid. In fact I remember when my mom used to hunt for the old broken crayons we had and melt them with the candle wax to make new candles. She'd even stretch the colored candles further by putting chopped ice in the mold so that the wax would cool with 'artistic' holes (one regular candle could be stretched to nearly three)!

Good memories.

#9 mariaandrea

mariaandrea

    Activist

  • Veteran Shifter
  • 722 posts 146 rep

Posted 23 December 2011 - 02:18 AM

Yep, you can make candles with old crayon stubs. I've done that. Also, even though candle wicking is cheap, I just use cotton string. I have string for crocheting and all purpose string I use so i don't have to buy anything. I have votive glasses that I drape strings into and plenty of old candles too that weren't very good, so the wick burned down leaving plenty of wax. That gets melted and poured into the glass votive holders with the string for a new candle. For the crayons, just melt the stubs and pour into a votive holder or a small dixie cup that you peel off when it's cool for a votive candle.

My daughter did an art project in school with old crayons that's hanging on my wall now. It's crayon batik and it's beautiful. I don't know how it's done, but instructions are all over online.

#10 MakingCents

MakingCents

    Activist

  • Pro Shifter
  • 335 posts 23 rep

Posted 23 December 2011 - 07:46 PM

Making candles from crayons is such an awesome idea.  YOu could make all sorts of fun colors, and I actually like the idea of the ice chips to make holes... Seem so much fun!

#11 Hysssss-teria

Hysssss-teria

    Regular

  • Pro Shifter
  • 99 posts 19 rep

Posted 27 December 2011 - 12:16 PM

Oh, my goodness -- don’t throw used crayons away! Just give them a new lease on life.
These are all such awesome ideas, by the way :)

While we don’t use candles around here, we have been extremely well-versed in recycling crayons for a number of years now.

We like to melt them down and shape them in holiday-theme cookie cutters and candy molds. The kids get a real kick out of coloring with crayon hearts, bunnies, snowmen and so forth.

These themed crayons are also terrific little gifts that kids can give to teachers or to each other. They‘re also delightful party favors, pinata fillers and stocking stuffers.

#12 joeldgreat

joeldgreat

    Regular

  • Pro Shifter
  • 162 posts 6 rep

Posted 27 December 2011 - 02:06 PM

Three years ago, at every end of each school year, my kids take time to collect some of their classmates used crayons. And we often made them into something useful. But lately, as they showed their works to their classmates and teachers, each students are now collecting each used crayons and make their own. Its a good way of letting the kids to go on green. Every little piece of effort will have a big impact to the environment.

#13 MakingCents

MakingCents

    Activist

  • Pro Shifter
  • 335 posts 23 rep

Posted 27 December 2011 - 08:22 PM

I saw another cool thing to do with old crayons. Shave them down, put them between two sheets of wax paper and microwave them.  THis melts them and creates a stained glass effect.  Then you can cut them into shapes, put them in a picture frame etc.  It's really a nice little pretty, artsy thing to do with old crayons :)

#14 Alli

Alli

    Regular

  • Shifter
  • 98 posts 8 rep

Posted 01 January 2012 - 05:07 PM

Such cool ideas- my son is just getting into crayons (he got a pack for Christmas) and I will keep these ideas in mind for when he is ready to move on to a new set.

#15 JBMedia

JBMedia

    Regular

  • Pro Shifter
  • 104 posts 3 rep

Posted 01 January 2012 - 06:28 PM

That's not a bad idea at all. I've never really thought about melting down crayons for other reasons and re-using them. I generally don't throw them away either though. I have a lot of crayons still in a container in the attic of my house. Maybe I'll do this as a project one day.

#16 MakingCents

MakingCents

    Activist

  • Pro Shifter
  • 335 posts 23 rep

Posted 01 January 2012 - 08:35 PM

Another thing to remember, small stubs of crayons are usually the best things for young children to learn to write with.  My sister is an OT and as soon as she gets a box of crayons she breaks them all up into about 1 inch pieces.

#17 Green Thumb

Green Thumb

    Regular

  • Pro Shifter
  • 135 posts 7 rep

Posted 01 January 2012 - 11:31 PM

View Postjoeldgreat, on 19 December 2011 - 04:19 PM, said:

Materials to prepare

Old crayons, candle, match, oslo paper, old spoon and old newspaper

Procedure
  • Place the old newspaper in your working area.
  • Put the oslo paper over it.
  • Light the candle. Let it stand in a piece of wood or plastic.
  • Get one old crayon, put it in a spoon and melt it over the candle.
  • Once it melts, pour it onto the paper and blow hard till it spreads on the space.
  • Get another color and do the same procedure until all the spaces in the paper are almost filled up.
  • Examine your design. Think of an appropriate title.

Haha! This is exactly how we did it in our art class in grade school (so long ago). Or you could melt crayons in a basin of water. You can make solid designs that you can have standing in table tops for displays. I also want to learn how to turn crayons into candles so I search the net and found this…

http://www.ehow.com/...ld-crayons.html

But if you know a cheaper and better procedure, can you please share? It would be beautiful candles having different colors or designs; and if possible perfumed, too. Is it possible to do scented crayon candles not having to buy perfume stuffs from the store? (Haha! I hope to be a wise buyer and save more this year)

#18 Shortpoet-GTD

Shortpoet-GTD

    Shifted

  • Validating
  • 8,025 posts 758 rep

Posted 02 January 2012 - 03:50 AM

View PostMakingCents, on 01 January 2012 - 08:35 PM, said:

Another thing to remember, small stubs of crayons are usually the best things for young children to learn to write with.  My sister is an OT and as soon as she gets a box of crayons she breaks them all up into about 1 inch pieces.
But not too young.
You don't want them popping them in their mouths either.

#19 msterees

msterees

    Regular

  • Shifter
  • 51 posts 4 rep

Posted 02 January 2012 - 06:23 AM

It's a lot of fun to melt down crayons and kids really love it especially if they can mix and match the colors to create their own. You can also melt them into a soap mold so the new crayons are an animal shape etc.

#20 MakingCents

MakingCents

    Activist

  • Pro Shifter
  • 335 posts 23 rep

Posted 02 January 2012 - 11:19 AM

View PostShortpoet-GTD, on 02 January 2012 - 03:50 AM, said:

But not too young.
You don't want them popping them in their mouths either.

My feelings are, if the child is young enough to put a crayon into their mouth then they should be using crayons of any size with adult supervision.

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users