Today we had our yearly testing for homeschoolers in the state. I never make a big deal of it, because their scores really don't matter. In fact, we don't technically have to do it. But I like making the school system happy... the happier they are, the less you have to deal with them. ;) Anyhow, I don't make a big deal of testing at all. In fact, between the two kids tests, we decided to make recycled crayons for Logan out of crayons I found in the garage while decluttering for our move. 
Cyan was the official peeler and breaker. With the help of a shovel (don't ask) she got all of them chopped into tiny pieces and ready to melt.
Then we set the oven to 175* and put them in it. We used tiny muffin tins I found at Goodwill for this project. We also use these for paint cups with tempera paint.
When you let these cool, they will start to pull away from the sides of the pan all by themselves. When they were completely cool I just turned the tin over and all but one fell out instantly. The other was a bit more stuck, so I stuck the tin in the freezer and it popped out in less than 20 minutes.
Logan was pretty thrilled and he and Cyan decided to color while Alex was taking his test. It was a great way to use the old crayons, and a fun activity to offset the drab testing day stuff.
Your recycled crayons are pretty! I copied the instruction for how to make those from a Martha Stewart book years ago, but it's one of those things that I kept saying I wanted to try and then never got around to. Thank you for reminding me of that project!
ReplyDeleteWe do these every year for our Valentine's cards! Target always has small heart shaped silicone muffin pans in the dollar spot. They are always a huge hit and I get to clear out the previous year's old crayons. ;)
ReplyDeleteTeri that is a great place to find silicone baking stuff! I never buy the silicone because it makes me really nervous (we don't do a lot of plastic) but for making crayons (and other non-food things) they would be perfect! Thanks for the tip. :)
ReplyDeleteVal