So we tried making our own crayons as gifts for the neighborhood on Valentine’s Day. I read a bunch of stuff online, but frankly following the online directions did not work well for me. So here are a few things to add to the basic directions you will find on line. I’m calling it my Top Ten Lessons Learned (for making crayons in shaped molds).
#10. Make extras, your children will want to keep some.
#9. Use all the same brand of crayon, different brands mixed do not meld together well.
#8. Breaking up the crayons is fine, you don’t need to chop them like we did. Chopping them may ruin your cutting board… (see number 7.)
#7. Be careful which dishes and utensils you use because they will get crayoned.
#6. Use a cookie sheet under your molds, the molds are not stable enough to remove from the oven when crayons are in a liquid state.
#5. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. (see numbers 6 and 7.)
#4. Cool thoroughly before removing from the mold. Use the freezer to speed cooling up.
#3. Higher temperatures make grainy crayons. Use lower temperatures (240*) and more patience.
#2. Make extra. No matter how careful you are some will break in the removal process…
#1. Make sure your molds are truly silicone and oven proof. Apparently some molds look like silicone but do not act like it…
Above all else, have fun with your kids! They are here today and gone tomorrow!
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The first time we made these (my husband and I before kids) we did everything wrong. Paper muffin tin liners do not come off of round crayons as easily as regular crayon wrappers. I’ll have to remember your tips when we do this again. The kids do love them.
Cleanup is the biggest task. Parchment paper is great for the cookie sheet, and even on top of the cutting board ( or dedicate a cheap one from a dollar store). Also spray the molds with cooking spray. Don’t use molds that have intricate designs as the crayons get stuck in there. Lastly, the molds will have colored crayon residue. You can use a wood toothpick to rub off the bits that don’t come off with a brush, soap, and hot water
How do I clean my molds after crayon fun?
Can I use them for food again?
I just used hot soapy water, and I would think if you clean them well they would be perfectly fine for food. I don’t use the molds for food typically.