Looking for a unique favor for your child’s birthday party or holiday celebration? Mold your own crayons! Molded crayons are a usable, different party favor that you can make to fit any theme. What’s more, molding crayons is very inexpensive and the end result is a (cheaper) better quality product than plastic novelty toys.
This original idea was first seen on the website www.tcbsupply.com, a supplier of chocolate and candy molds. On the site, TCB suggests recycling old crayons into something fun by sorting them into like colors, melting them down and pouring into chocolate molds. For your party favor and gift giving needs, start with new, good quality crayons. Old and very cheap crayons will not melt well, leaving you with a clay-like mess instead of a pourable liquid.
You need only a few supplies to mold your crayons. Chocolate molds, available in any imaginable theme, are easily bought on the web, where you can compare what’s available and have a vast selection. You will need crayons, which are best bought through a school supplier, offering safe, non-toxic, high quality affordably priced products in bulk. Classroom packs of “chubby” crayons made for toddlers work best. They come in a box already sorted by color, and often do not have a paper wrapper. For crayons that are wrapped, slice down the side with a razor knife for easy paper removal.
To melt crayons and wax products you must use the “double boiler” method. The easiest way to do this is to collect old, clean tin cans (something with some size, like coffee cans). Fill a large pan half full (or less if cans are tipping) with water. Place crayons filled cans in the water bath and let boil just until all the crayons are melted into liquid. Use care and do not leave the wax unattended, as it can burn if it gets too hot and the water may boil over. Do not let the water get into the cans with the crayons. Once melted, pour the melted crayons into the chocolate molds.
Let the poured crayons sit until they are hardened. When cool, flip the mold over onto wax paper to remove your crayon creations. A gentle flex or tap should get the crayon out, but if releasing the crayons from the chocolate molds is a problem, place the mold in the freezer for 20 minutes or so.
Package the crayons for party favors and gifts in clear plastic treat bags and tie with curling ribbon. For something memorable, add a tag to the favor with the name of the party’s honored host and their thanks. It is a good idea to print out a label reading “crayon” that can easily be stuck onto the package so kids will not think it is food (be sure to use non-toxic crayons just in case).
That is all there is to molding crayons for children’s parties and more. Use them for birthday party favors, Halloween, class gifts for Christmas, dance class, sports teams…any time you need inexpensive, quality gifts for children. When you need a gift without spending a lot of money, coordinate molded crayons with coloring books in a matching theme.
As always, use care when crafting and working around hot liquids. Be extra careful when crafting with kids, and ENJOY!
Reference:
- www.tcbsupply.com (chocolate molds) www.ideafinder.com (crayon history) www.agday.org (more on soybeans) www.discountschoolsupply.com (bulk crayons)
