Just because your crayons are old or broken, doesn't mean you can just throw them away. Like wax, crayons can be melted down and made into new crayons, candles, or even lipstick! There are several ways to melt crayons, and this article will show you how to do it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Melting Crayons Using a Stove
Step 1. Prepare a team pot (double boiler) or bain marie
Fill the pot with water to a height of 2.5 to 5 centimeters. After that, put a heat-resistant glass container or bowl into the saucepan. Make sure the top of the container or bowl is above the surface of the water.
If you have measuring cups or metal molds used to make candles, you can use them instead of glass containers
Step 2. Remove the wrapping paper from the crayon
If you don't remove it, the wrapping paper will become soggy when the crayon is heated and contaminate the melted crayon. There are several easy ways to remove the wrapping paper from the crayon:
- Peel and tear the crayon wrapping paper. Start by peeling or tearing the paper from one end, as well as where the two sides of the wrapping paper meet. Pry the paper with your fingernail, then start tearing the wrapping paper.
- If the wrapping paper is difficult to remove, cut the crayon (following the length) with a craft knife to cut the wrapping paper. After that, you can remove the paper by hand.
- Soak the crayons in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Hot water will soften the paper making it easier to remove.
- Some crayons have loose wrapping paper and are not glued to the crayon. You can pull the paper right up to the end of the crayon, just like when you take off a sock or pull the paper from a straw all the way to the end.
Step 3. Try separating the crayons by color
If you have lots of different colored crayons, you can separate them by color. This can save time when you later melt the crayons. You don't need to separate them by specific color (eg light blue crayon group and dark blue crayon group). Instead of separating them by specific color, you can simply separate them by their primary color (eg blue crayon group, yellow crayon group, etc.).
Step 4. Use a craft knife or kitchen knife to cut the crayon into small pieces
You need to cut the krayong into small pieces (about 1 centimeter long). This cutting helps melt the crayons more quickly and reduces clumping of the crayons during the melting process.
Step 5. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a boil
Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat and heat the water to a constant temperature.
Step 6. Put the crayon pieces into the container
Don't throw in all the crayons of all colors at once. Otherwise, the melted crayon will have a dark brown color. Try placing crayon pieces according to their color. If you've separated crayons by primary color beforehand, you can immediately put crayons of the same color into the container.
- If you want to make candles out of crayons, add grated wax and a few drops of essential oil or wax paste.
- If you want to make lipstick from crayons, melt one crayon first. You can use a single crayon of one color or pieces of crayons of several colors which, when combined, will have the same number or length as a whole stick of crayon. Also add teaspoon of shea butter and tablespoon of an oil, such as almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil.
- If you want to add additional ingredients, such as glitter, fragrance, or essential oil, add them after the crayon is placed in the container.
Step 7. Wait for the crayons to melt
Stir the crayons from time to time with a spoon so that all the crayons melt evenly. You should never leave the stove on, and make sure there is adequate ventilation. The fumes or fumes produced from the melting process can cause headaches.
If the water in the pan starts to run low, add more water
Step 8. Remove the glass container from the pan and use the melted crayon
Keep in mind that glass containers will get very hot so make sure you wear gloves or a thick protective cloth to protect your hands. After that, you can immediately pour the melted crayons into ice molds or candy molds to make crayons with interesting shapes. You can also use melted crayon to make lipstick or wax.
Method 2 of 3: Melt Crayons Using the Microwave
Step 1. Remove the crayon wrapping paper first
If you don't remove the wrapping paper, the melted crayon will hit the paper and create a greasy smudge or lump. There are several easy ways to remove the crayon wrapping paper:
- Peel and tear the crayon wrapping paper.
- Cut the wrapping paper with a craft knife, then remove it from the crayon.
- Soak the crayons in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to loosen the paper. After that, you can peel the paper from the crayon.
- Some crayons have loose peeling paper. You can simply pull the paper up to the end of the crayon to release it.
Step 2. Try separating the crayons by color
If you have a lot of crayons, you can separate them based on the same color. This means that you need to group the pink crayons and purple crayons into different groups. However, you don't need to group them by specific color (eg bubblegum pink crayon group and rose pink crayon group); just group by main color only.
Step 3. Use a craft knife to cut the crayon into small pieces
You will need to cut it into small pieces (about 1 centimeter long) so that the crayon melts faster.
Step 4. Put the crayons in a microwave-safe container
You can use an unused glass jar or coffee cup. If you are using crayons of different colors, group them by color and use a different container for each color.
- If you want to make candles from crayons, add grated wax to the crayons in a 1:1 ratio. You can also add a few drops of essential oil or candle fragrance.
- If you want to make lipstick, you will need to use one crayon of one color. Or, you can use crayon pieces of different colors which, when combined, will be the same length as a whole crayon. Add teaspoon of shea butter and teaspoon of an oil, such as almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil.
Step 5. Put the container in the microwave
You can fit multiple containers of different colors at once, but make sure the microwave doesn't get too full. It's best if you heat a group of crayon colors first, or heat a small amount of crayons.
Step 6. Heat the crayons in the microwave for two minutes, and pause the heating for 30 seconds to stir the crayons
Don't leave the microwave and keep an eye on the crayons being melted. Each microwave has a different setting and heat power, so it's possible that your crayons will melt faster than you think.
Step 7. Use melted crayons
Once the crayons are completely melted, you can pour them into silicone molds or plastic candy molds to make crayons in a variety of interesting shapes. You can also use melted crayon to make crayon-based lipsticks and candles.
If you want to add additional ingredients, such as glitter, fragrance, or essential oils, add them after the crayon has melted. Make sure you mix it well. Do not add gloss until the crayon is melted in the microwave to prevent the powder from reacting to the waves generated by the machine
Method 3 of 3: Melting Crayons Using the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 94°C
In this method, you can melt unused crayons and print them into interesting shapes.
Step 2. Remove the protective paper from the crayon
Usually crayons have a protective paper that is easy to remove or peel off. In fact, some crayon products have a protective paper that you can directly pull up to the end of the crayon to remove it. If you're having trouble removing the paper, there are a few tips to try:
- Carefully slice the crayon with a craft knife (following the length of the crayon) to open or tear the protective paper. Be careful not to cut or split the crayon. After that, you can remove the protective paper easily.
- If the protective paper is difficult to remove, soak the crayons in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Hot water can soften the paper, making it easier to remove the paper.
Step 3. Sort the crayons by color
If you want to melt a lot of crayons, group them by color to save time. This means that you need to group the yellow crayon with the other yellow crayons (as well as the blue crayons and other colors). However, you don't need to group them by specific color (eg a light blue crayon group or a gold crayon group).
Step 4. Use a craft knife or kitchen knife to cut the crayon into small pieces
You need to cut the crayon into small pieces (about 1 centimeter long). This way, the crayons will melt faster. In addition, the cutting can reduce the clumping that may occur.
Step 5. Find a suitable cake mold or silicone mold
You can use cupcake or muffin molds. In addition, you can also use a silicone mold or an ice mold. Silicone has a very high melting/melting point making it safe to use in the oven.
- If you're using cupcake or muffin tins, try coating the mold walls with cooking spray or solid fat to prevent the crayons from sticking and sticking too tightly to the mold walls. You can also insert a cupcake liner into the mold to prevent the melted crayon from sticking to the mold walls.
- If you are using a silicone mold, you do not need to coat or smooth the walls of the mold. The mold is non-stick and flexible so that once it hardens, the melted crayon can be easily removed from the mold.
Step 6. Insert the crayon into the mold
If you want to make crayons in a variety of interesting shapes, you shouldn't fill the mold with too many crayons. This is because when it melts, the crayon will spread and fill the empty space in the mold.
- Try to match the color with the shape. For example, if the molds used have different shapes (eg stars and hearts), put red and pink crayons into the heart-shaped mold. For star-shaped prints, add yellow or blue crayons.
- Try mixing and matching some colors. For example, you could put red, orange, and yellow crayon pieces in one shape, blue and green in another, and pink and purple in the final shape.
Step 7. Put the mold in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes
If you are using a silicone mold, line the mold with a baking tray first.
Step 8. Remove the mold from the oven
Once the crayons have melted, remove the molds from the oven. You can use melted crayons for craft projects, or let them cool and harden in molds to make crayons in a variety of interesting shapes.
If you want to make crayons in a variety of interesting shapes, you can speed up the cooling process by waiting for the crayons to harden slightly. After that, place the molds in the refrigerator or freezer and refrigerate the crayons for another 30 minutes
Step 9. Remove the hardened crayon from the mold
If you're making crayons in a variety of interesting shapes, wait for the crayons to completely harden. To see if the crayon has hardened, try touching the bottom of the mold. If the bottom of the mold feels cold to the touch, the crayon has hardened. After that, turn the mold over. If you are using a cupcake or muffin tin, the hardened crayons can be easily removed. If not, try tapping the mold on a hard surface (eg a kitchen counter). If you are using a silicone mold, hold the tip of the mold carefully. After that, press the protruding part of the mold so that the crayon is pushed and lifted from the mold.
Tips
- Melted crayons can be reused into new crayons. You just have to let it harden in the mold or container that was previously used to melt the crayons. The new crayon will be the same color as the previous color (or a new color, depending on the other color crayons or materials you added).
- Melted crayons can also be poured into figurine molds or ornaments to be used as new crayons with beautiful shapes, or just decorations.
- Ice silicone molds can be a great choice for printing new crayons of various shapes.
- You don't have to make any more crayons. Try to prepare a wooden cylinder and follow steps 1-7, then attach the melted crayon that has hardened to the cylinder using glue. After that, add other ingredients to beautify it.
Warning
- When melting crayons, do so in a well-ventilated area. Make sure the room windows remain open.
- Don't overheat the crayons (or, at least, don't overheat the crayons).
- Never leave the stove or oven on.
- The melted crayon is very hot. Make sure an adult is supervising and assisting at all times when melting and working the melted crayon. Do not leave melted crayons or hot crayons unattended.
