Looking for a craft that you can do with your child? How about taking your child's old crayons and making candles from them? This is a fun parent/child activity and creates a candle which can be enjoyed by watching it burn or it can be kept as a keepsake to remind yourself of your child's young and innocent days.
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If you are going to make these candles with your child, you must make sure they understand that you are working with HOT waxes.
You will be handling hot wax in the beginning and all the way through to the end to even when the candles are cooling.
Things will be hot and should not be touched.
The method we are about to describe is just one simple way to take crayons and make them into candles.
There are other methods that make beautiful candles but involve considerably more expense than the way we will describe here.
This method is meant to make a lasting memory candle with as little outlay of money as possible.
As you might expect, you will end up with a nice candle but it will not be perfect.
The walls may not be straight, the wick may not burn like others or the color may not be very pretty.
The important thing is that you can make something which can be kept as a memory of years gone by and you can do it with your child.
This is what you will need: old crayons, a wax carton (like a milk carton), paraffin wax, a double boiler, and white packing string.
If you don't want to use your double boiler an old coffee can and a saucepan will work just as well.
To begin, cut the top off of the wax carton, leaving it approximately six inches high.
You will want to cut the string at least 8 inches long.
You will later cut the wick to fit the holder.
To ensure a wick that burns easier, take three pieces and braid them together.
You can then use smaller pieces of string to tie the ends together.
You can also use other items for your candle holders (instead of the milk carton) as long as they non-flammable.
Pretty vases, glasses, and jars also work nicely.
Melt about three pounds of paraffin wax in the double boiler or coffee can.
To help it melt faster, cut it into small chunks.
The melting process with take about fifteen to twenty minutes.
While the wax is melting, peel the papers off of the old crayons.
You now need to decide about your candle color scheme.
You can separate out your colors into darks and lights or by hue.
You just need to decide what you want to accomplish.
You can even make multiple candles since everything will be set up.
You just need to remember that if you throw all your crayon colors together your color will probably come out looking like some yucky brown.
After the wax has melted, start adding your crayons while still stirring.
It will be up to you to decide how many crayons you want to add.
It depends on the color you are trying to achieve.
Another thing to remember in your planning stage - if you want a blue candle, for instance, and you only have a few blue crayons, you probably won't be able to achieve a blue candle because a few crayons in three pounds of wax will not make a very dark candle.
For best results, only add the crayons to the wax after it has completely melted.
After the crayons and wax have both melted together, immediately remove the mixture from the stove and pour into your candleholders.
If you would like to make scented candles try adding a touch of cinnamon or vanilla to your hot wax mixture before pouring the wax out.
Also make sure your wick is centered.
You can also weight down the bottom of the wick by tying something heavy onto it - like a metal washer.
It is important that the candles by left alone to completely harden.
Make sure you have an area this can be done without disruption.
It is also important to make sure small children can't reach them, as out of curiosity they may want to check on their candles.
The wax will stay hot for several hours and can scold the skin.
If you used a milk carton as the holder, when it is cool, you should be able slide the candle out of the carton.
If you can't, simply tear the carton away.
Since the carton is wax lined it should not stick too much to your candle.
Making candles out of old crayons is a great way to spend the afternoon creating a neat project with your children, both of which will create lasting memories.
This fun can also be enjoyed at schools and childcare centers or wherever old crayons are present.
Once the crayons are poured and cooled, the child can decorate the outside of their candle holder with whatever you have available - buttons, beads, ribbons, ...