Ever wondered how to make crayons at home? This quick and easy project turns broken crayons into brand-new, swirly, gorgeous coloring fun!
Let’s learn how to make crayons at home
Whenever we have broken crayons, we add them to a tub and save them for a day when we want to make new, colorful, homemade crayons.
BUT, you don’t have to wait to collect a bunch of crayons.
You can make homemade crayons from any crayons you have on hand, new or old, intact or broken.
Plus, making your own crayons is a fantastic way to teach kids about how crayons are made and the science of melting and cooling.
✨ Check out our ultimate collection of the best process art projects for kids!
The easiest way to make DIY crayons
Making crayons is as easy as peel, break, and bake!
I have some tips on how to make peeling process quick and efficient, but did you know that you can buy pre-peeled crayons? It’s true, and they’re uhh-mazing.
Crayons can be made in darling themed silicone molds like the alphabet and hearts, or you can even use regular silicone cupcake liners like we did here.
🖍️ We are big, big fans of all things drawing:
Materials
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- Peeled crayons – they come in larger sets and smaller sets
- Silicone molds
- Lined baking sheet
- Ziplock bag
- Rolling pin – or something else hard to break the crayons
- Oven
How to make crayons at home
- Preheat your oven to 250°F.
- Peel any remaining paper off the broken crayons using one of these methods:
- Have an adult soak crayons in hot water for a few minutes
- Have an adult slice down the side of the crayon with scissors
- Buy pre-peeled crayons and don’t peel a thing
- Break the crayons into small pieces if they aren’t already broken. Use combination of breaking them in your hands (as the kids say, so satisfying) and adding some to a Ziplock bag and smashing with a rolling pin (kids loooove doing this).
- Fill silicone molds with a lot of crayon bits. Because there are air gaps between the crayons, you want to really add a lot of crayons to each mold so there is substance when they melt.
- Place the molds on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10–20 minutes until fully melted.
- Check at 10 minutes, then every few minutes after that. Baking time depends on how big and full your molds are.
- Once melted, remove from the oven and let them cool completely before popping them out. Don’t rush it. The outside might feel cool while the inside could be warm.
- Enjoy your brand-new DIY crayons!
The science behind making crayons
Did you know crayons are made from wax and pigment? These two simple ingredients come together to create the colorful drawing tools we all love.
When heated, the wax transforms from a solid to a liquid, allowing colors to blend and swirl in mesmerizing ways. This melting process is a perfect example of a physical change—the wax changes form, but it’s still the same material.
Once cooled, the wax hardens again, reforming into a solid and giving you a brand-new crayon. This happens because as the temperature drops, the wax molecules slow down and stick together, creating a firm shape once more.
This is an example of easy science for kids that teaches about solids, liquids, and temperature changes. It also introduces the concept of reversible changes—unlike burning paper (which can’t be undone), melting and cooling wax is a process that can be repeated over and over again.
Fun ways to use homemade crayons
Now that you’ve learned how to make crayons, here are some creative ways to use them:
- Party favors – Melt crayons into themed shapes for birthday party gifts.
- Homemade valentines – Homemade crayons make adorable class valentines.
- Stocking stuffers – A perfect homemade holiday gift.
- Custom art supplies – Experiment with mixing colors for multicolored masterpieces.
- Gift toppers – Wrap presents with a homemade crayon as an extra special touch.
- Creative gifts – Gifting a silicone mold with some crayons is an adorably creative, non-toy gift.
🖍 5 fun facts about crayons
The average child wears down about 730 crayons by age 10! That’s a LOT of coloring!
There’s a crayon color called “Macaroni and Cheese.” Introduced in 1993, it’s the perfect cheesy shade of orange.
Crayola produces over 3 billion crayons per year. That’s enough to circle the earth six times!
The smell of crayons is nostalgic. A study found that the scent of crayons is one of the most recognizable smells for adults.
The world’s oldest crayon is over 10,000 years old. Archaeologists discovered an ancient red ochre crayon used by early humans.
Conversation starters
Use this activity as a time to chat with your kids! Here are some fun questions to ask while waiting for the crayons to melt:
- What do you think will happen when we melt the crayons?
- If you could create a new crayon color, what would you name it?
- Do you think different sizes of crayons melt at different speeds? Why?
- What’s your favorite thing to color?
- How do you think how crayons are made in a factory is different from what we’re doing today?
Frequently Asked Questions
I would give them about an hour before checking. On this day, it was cold outside and they were ready an hour after being taken out of the oven, but don’r rush as you risk breaking the crayons and burning your skin.
Have an adult soak crayons in hot water for a few minutes, or have an adult slice down the side of the crayon with scissors.
Yes! You can keep remelting them into new shapes as often as you’d like.
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