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Young kids love to color, which means crayons are pretty much a staple in homes with kids up to age six or seven. Most parents of young kids are no stranger to little, worn-down nubs of crayon that clutter the bottom of crayon bins, cast aside by little hands that color easier with larger crayons. But there are ways to use those crayon bits: you can melt them down to make multi-colored crayon discs, or you can use them to create abstract art.
What You Need:
Crayon nubs Wax paper Picture frame Iron and Ironing Board Dish towel
Directions:
Using an old pair of scissors or an old butter knife, shave the crayon nubs.
Cut two pieces of wax paper to the size of your picture frame. Lay down one piece of wax paper wax-side up on your ironing board. Arrange the crayon shavings on the wax paper to create a design or picture, keeping in mind that when heated, the crayon will spread and adjacent colors will blend somewhat.
Lay the second piece of wax paper wax-side down over the the first piece and crayon shavings, and cover with a tea towel.
Using a low heat setting, slowly and firmly iron over the tea towel. Take a look under the tea towel to see if the wax has melted (you'll be able to see through the wax paper). If needed, replace the tea towel and pass the iron over the towel again, until the wax has melted and the two pieces of wax paper are fused together.
Allow the wax paper image to cool completely before framing and hanging it. With just a few minutes and some simple steps, you can create kid-friendly art for your child's room, a play space, or your family room or kitchen--and you've diverted some waste from landfills.
