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Recycle Your Kid's Crayon Nubs into Bigger, Cleaner Pushup Crayons

Jul 17, 2012 05:57 PM
Bottles of colorful paint arranged on a white surface.

If you have children, then you know firsthand how many crayons parents end up buying. There is no such thing as using a crayon until it disappears. Kids use crayons until they are a nub, and then they toss the crayon aside, never to use it again.

What's a parent to do? Buying new crayons all of the time can get expensive, especially if your kid is bound to be the next Craola or Don Marco.

If you want to save, DO NOT throw those old crayon nubs away, because I'm going to show you right now how you can combine those old crayon bits into snazzy new push-up crayons!

Materials

  • Crayon bits
  • Small glass baby food jars
  • Glue sticks
  • Old paring knife
  • Funnel
  • Tongs
  • Small pot
  • Decorating materials

Gather Crayon Bits

Gather together all your crayon bits. Try to get multiple similar colors so you can have a variety of crayons.

Colorful plastic markers in a white container.

Empty and clean your jars out. Group the crayon pieces by color into each jar so your crayons won't come out rainbow like. Unless you want rainbow crayons, in which case rainbow-crayon it up!

Colorful crayons organized in glass jars.

Empty Glue Sticks

Remove the labels from your glue sticks.

Four glue sticks with orange caps and white bodies aligned in a row.

Take note that this was surprisingly difficult. I would recommend trying a blow dryer to soften the glue.

Twist the bottom of your glue stick so that the glue is sticking completely out.

Beeswax stick in a white container.

Using your paring knife, carefully cut through the glue to remove the majority of the stick.

Hand holding a white cylindrical object with a blade positioned next to it.

Next, pull the basket part out that holds the glue in place (it literally just pops right out, very easy). Then, using your paring knife, scoop out the glue inside.

Recycle Your Kid's Crayon Nubs into Bigger, Cleaner Pushup Crayons

Then, give your stick a quick rinse to remove any glue inside. Repeat with all four sticks.

Melt Crayons

Set out all the equipment you will need for the next two steps before you continue. This will help to keep you safe by not leaving an unattended stove while you get something. You will need the pot, funnel, tongs and glue sticks.

A kitchen stove top with various utensils and a cone.

The key to melting crayons perfectly is to think chocolate. Chocolate is a very tricky ingredient. In order for it to melt correctly, you need to use a low, slow, soft heat. Anything else will burn it.

Wax is the same. If you wish to not burn it (which believe me, can happen very easy), then you need to heat it slowly and gently over low heat. The best way to achieve this result is with water.

Set your stove to low. Place about an inch of water in the bottom of the pan and place the jars into the water.

Colored wax crayons in glass jars submerged in water.

The water will slowly come up to a gentle simmer around the jars. Monitor the heat carefully and adjust it accordingly; you don't want the water to boil.

Eventually, the wax will melt completely.

Jars of colored liquids in a pot.

Pour Wax

When your crayons are melted, grab a jar with your tongs.

Colorful glass jars being heated in a pot on a stovetop.

Grab your funnel and insert it into your first glue stick. Make sure the basket is rotated all the way to the bottom.

Pouring a liquid into tubes using a funnel.

Carefully pour the wax into the glue stick. Make sure you go all the way to the top.

A person using scissors to cut a red container while pouring contents into an orange funnel above white tubes.

Repeat with all four glue sticks, putting a different color wax in each. Leave them be and give them at least 30 minutes to solidify before continuing.

Four containers of colorful paints arranged on a surface.

The Results So Far...

At this point, your crayons will look like this:

Four paint sticks with varying colors and patterns on their surfaces.
Four paint stick tubes in green, dark green, brown, and yellow.
Used paint marker caps in various colors.
Paint sticks in red, orange, green, and black colors on a white surface.
Four paint sticks with varying colors and patterns on their surfaces.
Four paint stick tubes in green, dark green, brown, and yellow.
Used paint marker caps in various colors.
Paint sticks in red, orange, green, and black colors on a white surface.

Decorate

At this point, decorate your crayons. I used colored strips of paper to signify what color was in each stick.

Colorful adhesive glue sticks arranged in a row.

Though, another good idea would be to save crayons labels and make your own DIY label. Or, you could print a crayon label template from the Internet and attach to give your crayons a truer look.

You're Done!!

To use your crayons, just uncap and twist them up as your kid colors.

Four colorful inhalers with red caps arranged on a white surface.
Bottles of colorful paint with caps arranged on a white surface.
Four colorful inhalers with red caps arranged on a white surface.
Bottles of colorful paint with caps arranged on a white surface.

Can you think of a better way to make twistable crayons? Tell me about it in the comments section. Or better yet, make your own tutorial and post it to the world!"

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