If you have kids, then you know crayons are one of those things that appear out of nowhere, and most everyone has a bag of broken, unwanted crayons lying around. Well, here’s a great way to take those old bits of crayons and put them to re-use just in time for Valentine’s Day!

All you need is a silicone baking mold (we chose hearts, but the sky’s the limit) and some old crayons, and you’ll be making colorful new crayons in no time. Plus, it’s so easy to do; you can get the whole family in on the fun!

Here’s how:

1. Collect crayons and peel off the wrappers

2. Set oven to 200 degrees

3. Fill molds with broken crayons and place on a cookie sheet

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until melted (some wax types take longer to melt and larger pieces will take longer to melt)

5. Cool on flat surface in fridge or freezer for 30 minutes

Admittedly, we’ve gotten really into crayon making and have been collecting crayons from friends who were thrilled to see their crayons saved from the trash. It’s so fun to see how the colors blend and come together to create new, usable crayons.

Tips:

• Smaller crayon pieces work better. Quarter to half inch is really optimal to reduce melting time and keep the colors more uniform.
• To break crayons, first snap in half and then score with a knife. Crayons are harder to break than you’d think!
• Use the same brand of crayon for better results.
• Avoid washable crayons, they have a clear wax that rises to the top as they melt.
• Sort crayons by color and let the kids go wild. It’s fun to experiment and see what patterns you can create.
• The fewer colors you use per mold will result less mixing and more pure colors.