Every fall, women take their children school supply shopping to get everything they are going to need for their school year. Part of the supplies that will be bought is crayons. However, within a month or two those crayons might be broken, but there are ways to recycle them into candles that is a much better option than just throwing them away. In 7 easy steps, a box of broken crayons can be turned into candles.
Gather all of the crayons up:
The first step in making candles from crayons is to gather up all of the broken crayons. The more broken they are the better because they will melt a lot easier if they are in smaller pieces.
Gather up the other supplies:
Some people love to use the tins that tea lights are in, or use a metal container like a mint box with a piece of string for a wick. Any container can be used for the candle as long as it is strong enough to take the heat of the melted wax being poured into it.
Melt the colors one at a time:
Typically, people want their candles to be rainbow colored, which means it has many layers of color. In order to achieve this layered look, the individual colored crayons can be melted one at a time in either a double boiler pan or in a microwave safe container. A double boiler is a large pan of boiling water and then a smaller sauce pan is placed in the middle, which will melt the crayons in a slow way that will not scorch them or destroy the wax.
Pour the wax into the container:
After the wax is melted, it can be poured into the container one color at a time. However, for the layered look, the colors have to be melted one at a time. However, before each can be added to the container, the wax has to be set or they will all melt together.
Trim the wick:
No matter what kind of container is used, the wick has to be held straight up while the wax is being poured. Once the wax sets, the wick can then be trimmed.
Let the candle harden:
The newly poured candle has to be placed in a cool, dry area so it can have a chance to fully cool, set, and then harden. After the candle is set, then it can be placed on a mantle or a shelf for everyone to see.
Adding scent:
Typically, crayons have a distinctive smell that anyone can place. However, once the crayons are turned into a candle there is a way to get rid of that school house smell. Before the wax is poured into its container, the scent can be changed with the addition of any kind of scented oil. There are many different scents available, and women have even gone to an herbal store to find special scents that are for the fall like apples, cinnamon, pumpkins, and spice. Though no matter is chosen, those broken crayons can be recycled into colorful candles that make any room special.
(Photos: auntpeaches.com, eekstatic.com)