I have a confession to make: I’m a bit of a pack rat. I keep everything. All the stuff that comes home from school with the kids at the end of the year. All of their artwork. All of their leftover art supplies. And just the other day as I was replacing their old supplies with new ones for a new school year, I stumbled upon an almost overflowing container of broken crayons. Seriously, some are from when my teenager was in preschool. At first, I thought about putting them back. Then I considered throwing them away. But after discarding both those ideas, the though to turn them into something new and totally usable had me putting on my crafting cap and turning old broken crayons into super cute crayon coasters!
Now, I’ve been seeing people melt old crayons and turn them into new ones for a while but, well, we didn’t really need any new crayons! What we needed were some colorful coasters that can be thrown away after they get messed up. After thinking the idea through, I decided that making crayon coasters was the perfect way to breath new life into these old crayon pieces!
*Note: While these coasters are sealed, they are not intended for extreme temperatures. Heat will cause them to begin melting even with a finish.
What You Will Need:
Variety of Old/Broken Crayons
One Soup Bowl
One Flat Bottomed Ramekin
Mod Podge and a Brush
How to Make Them:
To start my crayon coasters, I simply added a handful of broken crayons to the bottom of my soup bowl. I didn’t want to add too many crayons so I simply covered the bottom of the bowl.
After adding my crayons, I placed them in the microwave for about two and a half minutes, checking the crayons every thirty seconds or so to keep them from burning. Once the majority of the crayons were liquid, I removed them from the microwave and gently pushed a large flat bottomed ramekin onto the top of them.
Then, I walked away and let my creation cool. This was the hardest part for me because I really wanted to see how it turned out but trust me when I say they need to cool completely - I learned the hard way. After allowing my crayons to cool and take on their new form, I simply picked up my ramekin, pulled of any excess crayon on the sides and flipped my newly created crayon coasters over.
They were a beautiful combination of colors and I knew they would add a fun touch to my entertaining. But I also wanted to make sure they were durable. So I pulled out my trusty Mod Podge and applied a thick coat to the entire coaster.
After repeating the process to make a set of coasters, I let my Mod Podge dry and then was ready to use my new creation.
I have to say, they are perfect for colorful drinks and are a fun piece that adds a little party to all of my celebrations. And the best part is, if they get stained or broken, I can simply thrown them away and head back to my bucket of crayons to easily whip up more.
Whether you’re having a party or simply wanting a fun way to turn old crayons into something new, these crayon coasters are a fun and creative idea that you’re sure to love!
Happy crafting!
I don’t need to melt down my old crayons and make new ones either. This is the perfect solution for reusing old, broken crayons. Your coasters are beautiful and functional - a win-win in my book. Love this!
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Now those are cute! We have an ice cream pail full of broken crayons. I like this idea much better.
How do they hold up in the heat?
I would love to use these on the deck but I don’t want them to melt.
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These are so cute! And I love that you found a creative way to upcycle old crayons - really great idea!
Jaime Nicole recently posted…Balance the Life of the Lunchbox with Nature’s Harvest
Now this is too cute! There is so much you could do with a project like this and knowing me I would take it to the next level and start making jewelry out of it.
What an awesome idea! I have so many broken crayon pieces from my kids I have no clue what to do with them. Now I know what I’m going to do!
What a great DIY and how very innovative. I love this craft and we have so many crayons. Great idea.
This is really creative. This is also a good way to make good use of leftover crayons.
I don’t have a single crafty bone in my body. However, this makes me want to find all the broken crayons at work, and make some of these! What a cute idea.
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What a fun way to use old crayon bits. This is a great craft for kids.
What a great way to reuse and recycle old and broken crayons! It’s a really creative idea. Could it handle a hot cup of coffee?
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What a creative way to use up those old crayons. I wish I had some to make these coasters with.
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This is really cute and creative. This is a DIY I would love. I would like a better top coat so I could keep them for a long time.
I have been hanging on to crayons for forever! This is the perfect use of them!
I love this idea. I have so many broken crayons I can use to make these. My kids are going to love it.
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I am going to make these with my kids this weekend. It is a great way to use up your old crayons.
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What a sweet idea! My kids would love to make these, they would make a great gift too for the holidays!
These are absolutely brilliant! This would look especially in good in my office where I go wild with colors.
Lisa Favre recently posted…A Lemon Loaf For A Lazy Monday
That’s a great idea! I’ve seen a lot of great ways to reuse crayons. I see a lot of people put them in molds to make them in shapes. I love the idea of a coaster.
These are a really unique idea, I would love to have colorful coasters that like that made out of crayons!
What a great idea! I have so many broken crayon pieces!! I’m going to try it with my son!
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Thise are super cute and a fun way to use up all those crayon bits. I bet they work really well too.
These are SO cool and creative. I love the artistic touch that they add. Thanks for the tutorial.
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This is such a fun way to use up broken crayons. I know when the kids were little we always had them lying around.
This is a great idea! I normally make new crayons from them but I love this alternate use for them! I can always use more coasters.
This is absolutely a great idea. Almost every house with kids has a bunch of old crayons laying around. This is a great project.
This is the perfect craft for me to do with my granddaughter. She can make them as Christmas gifts!!
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This is such a cute project to do. Anyone with kids will have those old crayons laying around. I’ll have to try this out soon!
I am obsessed with crayons. These are so cute!
Bart & Eena says
Okay, now this is so cute and cool at the same time! Might really be useful for us too! Thanks!!!
That is a fantastic idea. We have thousands (literally) of crayons and no real idea what to do with them all. Now I do.
These are so adorable and such a great way to utilize those broken crayons. I think I have some laying around that I can use for this. genius!
These are super cute! I have lots of broken crayons around that I can totally do this. Thanks!
That is a beautiful coaster! I love your creativity, love the design and color combination
This is a creative way to use those broken crayons. Love how easy it is to make.
Now there’s a REAL NOVEL way to recycle all those broken crayons that everyone who has kids has. Very creative craft that’s eco friendly too.
Okay I have to admit I am like you and am also a pack rat. I too have crayons from when my kids were little which was about 17 yrs ago. Crayons that are non toxic I have used in my candles for coloring. The idea of making the coasters is a great idea and I will have to try this for sure. Thanks for sharing the idea.
I’m a pack rat - but most the time that comes in handy! And I even have my own crayons because I refuse to use the stubs. Perhaps I can collect all of ours and use these for a grandma/grandpa gift.
These are so cute! We have a bunch of broken crayons laying around too.