When you were young, did you ever make melted crayon art? I loved creating these incredibly easy masterpieces and was fascinated as I watched small shavings melt and transform between two pieces of wax paper. And it takes just minutes to become an expert at this crafty technique! Try this indoor project with your kids and turn your melted artwork into beautiful winter sun catchers.
Materials
- Wax paper
- Crayons (recycle those worn-out old ones!)
- Craft knife
- Scrap paper
- Embroidery hoops in various sizes
- Craft paint and brush
- Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
- Iron and ironing board
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Toothpicks
- Kitchen twine
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Instructions
- First, prep your work surface. If you have a nice ironing board cover, place plenty of scrap paper on it for protection. Then, rip two large pieces of wax paper off the roll, roughly the same size. Place one of the sheets on your work surface.
- Now is a good time to paint your embroidery hoops. Take the inner ring from the pair and paint the entire surface. Let dry.
- Next, make sure any bits of paper wrappers are removed from your crayons. Then, with the knife, make small shavings off the crayon onto the wax paper. This is definitely a grown-up step; have your child direct where the shavings should go and when to introduce a new color. Try to keep the shavings small (a big piece of wax will be runny quickly).
- When the desired amount of wax has been shaved, place the other piece of wax paper onto your creation. With your iron on the lowest heat setting and NO steam, run the iron back and forth as the wax melts. It will harden in just a matter of seconds. (If you're worried about staining your iron, add an additional piece of wax paper to the sandwich.)
- Place your painted embroidery hoop on top of the wax art. With a pencil, trace around the outside of the hoop. Remove and cut out the circle. Apply a thin layer of tacky glue on the back of the hoop. Remove any excess with a toothpick. Place onto wax paper, press down firmly and let dry. Finish by adding a loop of kitchen twine for hanging.
