Make New Candles From Old Crayons

If you have children in your home, chances are you have lots of  old crayons that don’t get used much anymore. Before throwing them out, consider using them to make candles. This can be a great way to turn them into something new and useful again. Most children will love the idea of making candles and enjoy knowing their old crayons were used to make them. The candles you make with old crayons make great gifts. 

Make sure your kids know about safety before starting your project. Since the crayons will have to be melted at a  high heat, they may not be able to participate in that part of the candle making process. Assure them that there are many other aspects of the candle making that they can be a part of.

To start, gather your supplies. In addition to the crayons, you will need a wax carton. This can be from milk, fabric softener, or orange juice container. You will also need paraffin wax, two full ice cube trays, a double boiler, and white packing string. If you don’t want to use your double boiler, an old coffee can and a saucepan will work just as well. 

Trim the top off of the wax carton, leaving it approximately six inches high.  Cut the string for the wick at least 8 inches long. You will later trim the wick to fit the holder. To ensure a wick that burns easier, take three pieces and braid them together. Use smaller pieces of string to tie the ends together. The holders for your candles can be anything you desire as long as they are non-flammable. Pretty vases, glasses, and jars work nicely. 

Melt about three pounds of paraffin wax in the double boiler or coffee can. To help it melt faster, cut it into small chunks. Plan on 15 to 20 minutes for the metling process. While the wax is melting, peel the papers off of the old crayons. You and your children can choose to separate the colors by lights and darks to have a mix that combines well or you can mix them all together and see what the color ends up being. 

For best results, only add the crayons to the wax after it has completely melted. After melthing the crayons and wax, pour the mixture into your candles holders as soon as possible. If you would like to make scented candles, try adding a splash of cinnamon or vanilla to your hot wax mixture. 

It is important that the candles be left alone to completely harden. Make sure you have an area where this can be done. It is also important to make sure small children can’t reach them because the wax will stay hot for several hours and can cause serious injuries. 

Making candles out of old crayons is a great way to spend the afternoon creating a fun project with your kids!

Compare________________________________________________

Lighting Candles $14.49 Driven by a secret he cannot bear to examine, thirteen-year-old Benjamin Sorowen leaves his clothes and a suicide note, grabs a large stone and steps into a California reservoir. He releases the stone and strokes away into darkness-not to die but to stop being who he is. After retrieving supplies and clothes prepared in advance, he changes his name, hitches to New Mexico, and begins a new life in a cave near Albuquerque. However, he soon finds running from a place is easier than running from a past. Painful though it is, he finally realizes he must face the truth about what he tried to drown in the reservoir before he will have a chance at the better life he longs for.

Make $9.93 If you like to tweak, disassemble, recreate, and invent cool new uses for technology, you''ll love MAKE, our project-based quarterly for the inquisitive do-it-yourselfer. Get ready to play when MAKE Volume 08, our Toys and Games issue, hits the stands. You''ll learn how to build a wind-up bird that really flies, how to restore an old pinball machine, and learn the secret history of the world''s best-selling computer game from Myst''s co-creator. You''ll also meet a well-known toy inventor and learn how to make molds and casts with MythBusters star Adam Savage.

Wax to Crayons $5.99 The How Things Are Made emergent reader series shows kids how a variety of common items are made from start to finish. The page spreads, linking text to image, show a step-by-step process that is involved in making each item from the raw materials to the finished product. The items discussed include: making paper from trees, orange juice from oranges, ice cream from milk, chocolate from beans, crayons from wax, and ketchup from tomatoes. Children are involved in the process of making ketchup, orange juice, and ice cream. The text offers new words that describe the specialized terms associated with making each item.

Crayons $14.99 Track Listing: 1. Long Night, The, 2. Just to Have You Hum Along (The Futon Song), 3. My Father's Home, 4. Pastel, 5. Crayons, 6. War Between the Fears, 7. Silver Wheels3, 8. Gypsy's Jewel, 9. What Love Can Do, 10. Friend of Mine, 11. Roll on New River, 12. In My Dreams, 13. In This Place of My Forgiveness