Valentine’s Day is less than a week away! Yeah, I know, it’s a faux-holiday invented by major corporate scum to steal all our money! And blah blah blah. It’s also one of the few times a year I get to play with pink! I think I’ve said this before, but being a mom to boys means I don’t often see pink. You could say that’s my fault for following gender rules, but really, my son loves pink! He just doesn’t choose it as often as he chooses red or orange. It’s ok with me, because I do love me some orange. I just get a little tired of passing over pink, is all.
Anyway…This weekend, my sister chipped in and helped me with the single party favor I had my heart [!] set on making for Nate’s pre-k class. Heart crayons. Though stripping them of their paper and breaking them into small enough pieces was an absolute [and literal! my thumb still hurts] pain, they came out lovely.
![heart crayons [1]](http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4060/4341112706_57f451019c_z.jpg?zz=1)
Most how-to’s on the subject of heart crayons show an aluminum pan filled with crayon bits. Well, I went out and bought an aluminum pan, made a batch, but could NOT get them out! It was awful. So, I went out again and found a silicone pan and these lovely hearts were easily achieved.
![heart crayons [3]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/4341111314_efda9ebc4c_m.jpg)
![heart crayons [4]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4340366197_4c7e3623f9_m.jpg)
I actually didn’t have enough crayon scraps (and I wasted a lot in the aluminum pan), so I bought 2 boxes of 64 Rose Art crayons ($2 each) for these. We split them up by color group and filled the slots accordingly. The aluminum pan fiasco taught me that contrasting colors didn’t go too well together in this project. I tried my best to keep them all within the same color group. I love the marbled–spin-art-ish–look!
![heart crayons [2]](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2685/4340367527_2dc29810a9_z.jpg?zz=1)
I made a cheesy little tag with the line “you color my world” on it. Valentine’s Day party is this Friday!
ETA (some years later)
I’ve been emailed a few times to post some actual instructions. It’s super easy if you have the right tools! I bought THIS PAN
Separate your crayons by color groups: reds/pinks, purples, blues, greens, oranges/yellows. To get the paper off easily, cut a slit down the length of the crayon with a knife. Break them into ~1/3″ – 1/2″ pieces and place like colors into pans. You get a better result if you mix lighter shades of a certain group with darker shades. I also like to add a piece or of contrasting color. Go wild! It makes a great sorting game. My kiddo liked it and then when I let him break the crayons? pssssh. Dream come true!
Bake between 225F and 250F for about 10 minutes. Take a look at them after 10 and if they are completely melted, gently take them out, and let them cool for at least 10 minutes. If there are still some chunks after 10 minutes, let them go for another minute or two. Keep an eye on them!
Have fun!
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I saw this is in Pioneer Woman’s Photography Assignment pool and it is absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to make these someday!
thank you! they were fun, but I think I should use some scissors or a knife to cut them, next time. I snapped each crayon into 8, so I was applying some serious pressure with my thumbs.
Lisa – those are stunning! In my next lifetime when I have free time I want to be you. Would you be inclined to make me an icon out of the first photo? It is so beautiful!
sent! :)
I’ve made circle ones in muffin tins & they came out alright. We have tons of the heart silicones at work though. I should snag them & make some.
dooo it! they’re so pretty.
By the way, your new header makes me insanely happy
yay! :)
it was a really quick knit. The duplicate-stitch was kind of a pain, though!
those are rockin’! Best idea ever, i think i may need to steal that!
Those are some awesome crayons…definitely not something you could just buy at some store. Great job!
We’ve got a couple of heart crayons floating around our house, that my sister in law made for our daughter. Very fun. Yours turned out GORGEOUS. The kids will love them.
thanks! I hope they do.:)
just had to add – I ended up putting the colours I wanted in a ziploc baggy, and them taking my mallet and smashing them on the porch. worked perfectly! wrappers came right off. thanks again for the idea!!!
good idea!
those heart crayons are too cute!!
love the new header too!
thank you! both were ultra-fun to make.
super crafty and a perfect idea. so much better than just a store bought valentine. thank you for sharing!
I just wanted to make sure I understand the how-to correctly– You used Silicone heart molds on a silicone pan, or plastic heart molds on a silcone pan, or silicone heart molds on a regular pan?
My children (aged 4 and 2) saw these photos and now want to make some… I guess I will!! THe photos are inspirational!
I used Dollar Store silicone ice cube trays and they worked great.
I made these with my daughter. I used a box cutter to slice the wrapper, then it just peeled right off!
I just saw your crayons on The Crafty Crow. They turned out beautifully! I love the way you sorted the colors. I made heart crayons this week too, for the first time, also with a silicone pan. It is so much fun!
when I’ve made them, I greased the pan to get them out easier.
I made these for Valentine’s too. And my thumb still hurts. I did finally figure out that if you use a scissor to score through the wrapper down the side, the paper comes right off. I also put some really fine glitter in the bottom of the mold first, which added some nice sparkle.
When the crayons were cool, I put them in a cellophane bag intended for lollipops and added a cardstock topper stapled to the cellophane. They were so cute.
My girls were much more impressed with their fairy valentines. What’s a mom to do?
Found this through the Crafty Crow this morning…I did this last week (silicone is key whenever I make crayons, and I got my “pans” at the dollar section at Target), and wanted to suggest smashing the naked crayons in a plastic bag with a hammer–works great!
I’ve made probably about 80 some crayons using an aluminum little squares pan and to get them out, i throw the pan after it cools slightly in the freezer. The crayons pop right out no problem :) I love the heart shapes. I’ve made tons of them for my classroom in many color combos.
I read this tip and when I did it, my crayons cracked! :(
right in half. I had to put them back in the oven for a few minutes.
Love this!! Bought my silicone pans today. Will be making these for Valentines day. Love your color combos. Thanks for sharing.
I think I’ll have to do this for my son’s K-class!
THANKS!
These are beautiful! I just made some yesterday with my 3.5 years old daughter! : ) Though, mine looked like the wax had separated from the crayons. Has that happened to anyone? So we could only use half of each crayon. Kinda weird.
you had them at too high a heat or too long in the heat … once the dye and wax seperate there is no way to re-mix them.
We tried the smash with a mallet method, but didn’t like having to pick out the small pieces of paper. Instead I used an exacto knife to slit the paper and then handed it to my son (7) to remove. My 3 year old put the crayon in the baggy and then I smashed them.
Thanks for the great idea!
Your color’s are beautiful. I would love to try this for one of my Pre-K classes. How big are the silicone hearts in the mold?
I made these last weekend. Turned out so great. Here’s a few tips that made the whole process easier. Toss your crayons into a big bowl of pretty warm water and let them soak. This will loosen the glue on the paper. After a few minutes the paper should peel right off. Spray whatever pans you are using with Pam or the equivalent before placing in your crayons. These will aid in the removal process. After removing from the oven, let them sit out for a bit before putting them in the freezer for the final “cool.” I think it’s the extreme temperature shift that causes the cracking others were talking about. Have fun!
Just came across this blog entry on The Crafty Crow. I love how your crayons came out and how you photographed them! I actually made these this year, too! I used a silicone tray.
So you just bought silicone heart shaped molds?
Where did you get something like that?
I like the color combination, you are really crafty. Can I eat them:D My kids usually use clay. The little girls had once took a clay class last year. They like to surprise me with their new creations.
I had the same problem with the crayons not coming out of the pan after I made them! The trick is to put them in the freezer for a bit and they come out without a problem :)
I haven’t seen a heart crayons in my whole life. I see different shapes but heart shape, never. The colors of your heart crayons are very great and unique.
I’ve never made these before and love the idea for our twin boys to give as Valentine’s gifts. Not the craftiest individual, so I would love any instruction you can provide!
How long do you bake them and what temp should the oven be at?
[…] I am attempting this for Valentine’s Day for each of my students this year. So cute and oh so […]
[…] I decided to try making heart shaped crayons. (The particular pin I found lead me to the blog Goodknits. I followed Lisa’s instructions for making the hearts, and even ordered the pan she […]
[…] Heart Crayons – What a great idea! […]
I soaked the crayons in hot water for a few minutes and the paper came right off. I also out my color combinations in a Ziploc bag and smashed them and it was super easy.
I haven’t seen a heart crayons in my whole life. I see different shapes but heart shape, never. The colors of your heart crayons are very great and unique.
[…] I decided to try making heart shaped crayons. (The particular pin I found lead me to the blog Goodknits. I followed Lisa’s instructions for making the hearts, and even ordered the pan she […]
Where are the supplys list?