It is with a bit of shame that I must admit that I've been very lax on the craft front with her. In my defence though, really, up to this point, I think she's been a wee bit on the young side. I couldn't see much point in delving into a craft project where she wouldn't be able to at least partially participate.
During the school year, I take her to Storytime at the library, a free program for pre-school aged kids. There's stories, songs and a craft. While A is kind of hot and cold about participating in the first two, she's adamant in her enthusiasm for the latter. We've brought home untold pipe-cleaner/paper bag/paper plate/construction paper creations. It was sort of eating at me though, that here I am, a self-proclaimed craft enthusiast myself and yet I wasn't holding my own when it came to crafts with my wee girl.
About a week ago or so, on a rainy morning, I finally broke out all the little empty toilet paper rolls I had been saving up, the coloured pipe cleaners and the tote full of other assorted craft miscellany. We made bugs. I forgot to catalogue the experience. To sum up, there was a Mommy Bug, a Daddy Bug and an Avery Bug. Then I took a Premium Plus cracker box and made a bug house (re: cut a door in one side). She was quite content with those for an entire afternoon. Those and the Popsicle stick people I made. Here's the tutorial; take some craft Popsicle sticks and Sharpie. Draw faces and clothes on the sticks. Watch your kid go ape shit over them. Feel like a crafting genius. In that instance, there was a mommy, daddy and two Avery 'poppa sticks'.
Anyhow, today I decided to take all of the little bits of broken and de-labeled crayon and make new crayons. I have seen this on the web a few times in a few different places. So I broke up and sorted the bits.
I don't think the sorting step is actually necessary but ya know, this is just how I roll.
Spray a mini muffin tray with some veg spray and let your kiddo fill up the cups.
Take a moment to admire her handy work.
Pop the tray in a 275 degree oven for 7-8 minutes until just melted. Allow to cool for a bit and then put the tray in the freezer to help the solidifying process along. If you leave them there for as long as it takes you to do a sink full of dishes, that should be plenty.
Once the little pucks are hardened, they pop out quite easily...
...and are as much fun to stack as they are to draw and colour with.
Overall, a successful craft. Here's why I liked it; it was quick, easy, I had everything I needed on hand and little A could do it with me. I also like the waste not, want not aspect to it. It seemed a shame to throw out all those little crayon bits and now we have 24 new crayon pucks :) Other suggestions out there for doing this are to use cookie cutters or candy molds to create different shapes. I think next time I'll try and come up with an option that would make the new crayons a more crayon or pencil like shape as I think those might be a little bit easier to use. Either way, a very cool and practical idea. Gotta love those.
Until later...
2 comments:
Wonderful and crafty. Practical and very green! Great idea!
A lot cheaper than the Crayola Crayon Makers, too. (Which we have, but the mold is missing, so it no worky.)
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