Make Stained Glass Crayons

Is your child’s art box a jumble of crayon stubs and broken bits? Don’t throw them out! You can use crayon scraps to make beautiful “stained glass” window hangings and even more crayons.

To make stained glass, you’ll need:

- waxed paper
- crayon stubs
- a crayon sharpener, carrot peeler or grater (depending on your child’s ability level)
- an iron
- a few sheets of newspaper
- yarn and a hole punch

Cut two large, matching pieces of waxed paper and lay one piece flat on your work surface. Peel the paper from your crayons. Have your child sharpen or grate the crayon bits over the wax paper in a decorative design. When finished, top with the second piece of waxed paper and the newspaper. Then, iron the paper on low until the crayons have melted enough to hold both pieces of paper together (keep lifting newspaper to check). Let cool. Trim edges and punch a hole at the top. Add a yarn hook and hang in window. Better than Chartres!

To make your own super-special crayon shapes, you’ll need:

- candy molds in your favorite shape (available inexpensively at craft or gourmet stores)* or an ice cube tray
- assorted crayon bits
- your choice: paper cups and a microwave or a muffin tin and an oven

Peel the paper from the crayons and separate by color. If melting in the microwave, put each color into separate cups and melt in microwave on low, checking frequently. If melting in the oven, separate in different cups of a muffin tin and melt on low, again checking frequently. (Crayola warns that overheated crayons will create fumes.) When melted, pour hot wax carefully into molds. If your child has the patience, you can let one layer cool and then add another in a different color for multi-colored crayons. Let cool thoroughly and pop out. Voila!

* Throwing a skating, garden, or princess party? Find molds in a coordinating shape to make crayons and you’ve got eye-catching party favors made from your child’s scraps!