Melted Crayon Heart Valentines

Melting crayon pieces might be an old trick but a twist makes this project perfect for the kids on Valentine’s Day. Instead of store-bought valentines, they can affix the crayon hearts to pieces of paper and give to friends and schoolmates.  The best thing about this project is that you can easily melt down old crayons to create new, more colorful crayons!  Kids will love coloring with this heart crayon because they can get several colors all in one tool!

This heart crayon is a great way to use up leftover crayons.  Here's a few more projects that lend themselves nicely to helping you get rid of those crayon bits and pieces:  Crayon Stained Quilt Art, Recycled Crayons, and Rainbow Crayons.

Materials:

• Crayon pieces- Some metallic crayons give a wonderful, glittery look
• Heart-shaped muffin tin, silicone mold OR regular baking dish and heart-shaped cookie cutters
• Scissors
• Markers, Colored Pencils or Crayons
• Heavy, Colored Card Stock
• Double-sided foam mounting tape

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
    
2. Collect any broken crayon bits or break up a few packs. Kids love this!
    
3. Remove any paper wrappings from the crayons. To do this easily, soak the crayons in hot water and watch the wrappings float off.
    
4. Spray your heart-shaped muffin tin or mold with a bit of cooking spray. If you are using a regular baking dish, simply line the dish with parchment paper. Silicone molds are ready to go!
    
5. Fill the tins with the crayon pieces or sprinkle over the bottom of the baking dish. Use larger chunks for a more colorful result.
    
6. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until melted.
    
7. If using silicone, pop out of the mold. Otherwise, carefully remove and smooth any rough edges by drawing with the crayon heart on some scrap paper.
    
8. Use the tape to affix the crayon heart to a small square of cardstock. Cut the card-stock into a heart shape for an added touch. You can trace out the hearts and have the kids cut them out.
    
9. Let the kids decorate the card and add any messages they like!