Crayon crafts for kids: what to do with broken crayons

Broken crayons still work. The easiest crayon crafts for kids use them exactly as they are: rubbings over leaves and coins, and crayon resist under watercolor paint. With an adult helping, the stubs can also be peeled, shaved and melted into stained-glass bookmarks, or baked into new chunky crayons in a muffin tin. Anything that involves heat is an adult's job, and anything with small pieces is for kids old enough not to put things in their mouths. If you have more stubs than you will ever use, you can donate them.

Sort the box first

Before you start, tip the crayon box onto a tray and make three piles:

1. Still usable. Anything longer than a thumb. Back in the box.
2. Short and broken but whole enough to hold. Rubbings and resist.
3. Crumbs and slivers. Melting projects, or the donation bag.

Peel the paper off the pile you plan to melt. Crayola's tip for stubborn wrappers is to soak the crayons in warm water for a few minutes so the paper slides off. Peeling is slow, which makes it a good job to hand a 5- or 6-year-old.

No-heat crayon crafts (good for younger kids)

Crayon rubbings. Peel a crayon stub and use it on its side. Put a leaf, a coin, a key or a piece of textured fabric under thin paper and rub across it. Copy paper works better than cardstock here because the texture shows through. Go outside and collect bark, leaves and sidewalk textures. Tape the paper to the table for toddlers so it does not slide.

Crayon resist. Draw with crayon, pressing hard, then paint over the whole page with watery paint. The wax repels the water and the drawing pops out. Crayola's sunflower version has kids sketch the picture, trace it with crayon, then paint over it with watercolors. White crayon on white paper makes a "secret message" that appears when the paint goes on, which is the version most kids ask for again.

Crayon on a coloring page, then watercolor. Color only the outlines of a printed page with a thick crayon line, then wash watercolor over the inside. It works best on heavier paper. See the paper guide for what holds up to paint.

Crayon mosaic. Older kids can glue short crayon pieces onto cardstock in a pattern or picture. It uses up a lot of stubs at once.

Shavings and melted art with a hair dryer (adult runs the heat)

Shavings come from a crayon sharpener or an ordinary pencil sharpener. Kids can make shavings and sprinkle them. An adult handles the heat.

The stained-glass project Crayola uses for garlands and bookmarks goes like this, from its melted crayon heart garland instructions:

1. Protect your table.
2. Sprinkle shavings onto a sheet of wax paper and mix the colors.
3. Lay a second sheet of wax paper on top, press out the air bubbles and tape the edges.
4. With adult supervision, melt the shavings with a hair dryer until they form one colorful layer.
5. Let it cool, then cut shapes such as hearts, leaves or stars.

Crayola's own note on that craft says a hair dryer is involved and adult assistance is required. Its bookmark version adds a useful tip: use the lowest airflow with high heat, because strong airflow blows the shavings away before they melt.

Wax melts at a lower temperature than many people expect. Crayola says its crayons begin to melt at around 105 degrees Fahrenheit and have a melting point between 120 and 147 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why a hair dryer is enough and why the result is hot to touch right after.

New crayons from old ones: the adult-only oven method

This is the classic recycled crayon project, and it is the one where a grown-up does all the hot steps. These are the steps from NOAA's Marine Debris Program, which suggests it as a way to keep broken crayons out of the trash:

1. Adult: preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Kids can help: peel the paper and break the crayons into pieces about half an inch or smaller.
3. Kids can help: layer a few pieces into each cup of a muffin tin, aiming for two or three colors per cup. More pieces make thicker crayons.
4. Adult: bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crayons have melted completely.
5. Adult: carefully remove the tin and let it cool on the counter, then put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Adult or kids, once cold: tap the tin over a hard surface to pop the crayons out.

NOAA says the activity should only be done with adult supervision, with oven mitts and no touching hot surfaces. Two practical additions: use a muffin tin you do not bake food in, since wax is hard to clean off, and keep kids out of the kitchen while the tin comes out of the oven.

The result is round, chunky, multicolor crayons that suit small hands. If you are making them for a toddler, the crayon shapes guide explains why chunky shapes work for a fist grip.

Safety notes, by age

Age	Good crayon crafts	Keep away
Under 3	Rubbings, big-crayon scribbling, resist with an adult painting	Shavings, small pieces, anything hot
3 to 5	Rubbings, resist, peeling, sprinkling shavings with help	Sharpeners with blades, hair dryer, oven
6 and up	All of the above, mosaics, cutting cooled wax paper shapes	Oven and hot wax without an adult

The reason small pieces stay away from toddlers: the AAP's HealthyChildren.org says babies and toddlers are at the highest risk of choking because they explore by putting things in their mouths, and lists pen and marker caps among the common choking hazards. Treat crayon slivers and shavings the same way.

Donate the rest

Crayola does not take them back. Its FAQ says it cannot use recycled crayon wax in its manufacturing because it would compromise its safety and quality standards.

The Crayon Initiative, a nonprofit, does. Its donation page says you can drop off unwanted crayons at any Staples store in the US as part of the Staples Writing Tools Recycling Program, or ship them directly using its instructions. It also has guides for running a collection drive at a school.

Then give them something to color

A box of homemade crayons is a good excuse for a fresh coloring page. Free printable pages are easy to find, and the toddler coloring pages guide covers how to pick simple ones or draw your own. Colorkin makes coloring pages from your own family photos, drafted with AI illustration tools and checked by a person, if you want pages that star your kids. For more make-it-yourself projects, see the make-your-own guides.

Questions parents ask