How to Make Candles from Crayons

Here’s a bright idea: why not try creating colorful candles out of crayons? After all, crayons consist of wax and pigment. But how to make candles from crayons, that is the question.

In this post, I will share a step-by-step guide on how to make candles from crayons. The process starts from preparing the materials to melting the crayons and then setting them to a candle. And, as a bonus, I will also give you a few trips and tricks to make the process more fun and effective.

Let’s begin!

How to Make Candles from Crayons Step by Step

Materials Needed

The materials you need for this project are the following:

Step 1: Prepping the Crayons

Gather all the crayons you will use. Peel off their labels. Use the craft knife to make the peeling easier. Without the craft knife, you will have to rely on your nails and fingers alone to peel off the labels. Bits of the crayons may get stuck under your nails. While that’s not the end of the world, it’s better to avoid it altogether.

After peeling the labels off the crayons, break them into tiny pieces and lay them aside. The smaller the pieces are, the better because they will melt easier. Lay them aside in the paper cups.

Step 2: Prepping the Wick and Candle Holder

I usually use glass cups as my candle holder. To prep the candle holder and the candle wick, do the following:

If you don’t have tabbed wicks, you can buy the wicks and tabs separately and stick them together. Place one end of the wick on the tab and secure it with a drop of hot wax.

Then, stick the tab on the center of the bottom of the glass cups (or whatever you want to use as a candle holder). You can attach the tabbed wick on the glass with a drop of hot wax or with glue. Some tabbed wicks are self-adhesive.

Use the popsicle sticks to hold the wick upright. You can tie the other end of the wick on a popsicle stick and lay the stick across the mouth of the candle holder. Alternatively, you can sandwich the wick between two popsicle sticks laid on the mouth of the candle holder.

Step 3: Melting the Crayons

Some guides will tell you to use a metal measuring cup or a small pot to melt the crayons. But I strongly disagree with using those kitchen tools.

Melted crayons stick to the surface of those items. And though you can scrape off the bits of wax off, it’s challenging to ensure you get all of the wax.

Besides, who knows what chemicals get into those items that also hold your food.

I use paper cups and a microwave to melt the crayons. I place the paper cup in the microwave and heat it for one minute with a medium setting. After the one minute is finished, I stir the semi-melted crayon inside and heat it in 30-second increments until the crayons are fully melted.

Pro Tip!

The tricky part about melting crayons so you can use them as a candle is the crayon’s type of wax. Most major brands, including Crayola, use wax not suitable as a candle. These crayons produce a dim, faltering light before pathetically dying out when used as a candle.

Crayons made of beeswax are the best types to use as a candle. If your crayons are not made with 100% beeswax, you must mix beeswax into the melted crayon. Beeswax is the most popular type of wax used by candlemakers. Another kind of crayon wax that works fine as a candle is paraffin wax.

High-quality toddler crayons are usually ideal for candle-making. If you don’t have those, I suggest mixing two portions of beeswax for every part of the crayon. Fill the paper cup about two-thirds of the way to the top with beeswax, then top it off with crayon bits. Then melt for a minute and mix.

Lastly, melt the cup in 30-second increments until the wax and crayons are utterly melted.

Pro Tip!

Do you want your candle to be fragrant? Add a few drops of aromatic oils to the wax and crayons after you melt them. Candle fragrance also works wonderfully. After dropping as much of the scented substance as your heart desires, mix the melted wax well.

Step 4: Pouring the Crayons

When the crayons and wax melt, let the cup cool for around 30 seconds, then pour its waxy content into the candle holder. Keep in mind to pour the wax carefully so as not to disturb the wick. Then, let the wax dry and harden for 30 minutes.

Pro Tip!

You can create artsy and colorful candles by layering differently-colored melted crayons in the candle holder. Pour a tiny amount of melted crayons into the candle holder and let it dry and harden for thirty minutes. Then, melt another color of crayons and pour the liquid into the candle holder.

Keep repeating this process until you have a multi-colored pillar of a candle.

Step 5: It’s Now a Candle!

When the entire wax is dry and hard, trim the wick to a fourth of an inch from the top of the wax. Now your candle is ready for use!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this step-by-step guide on how to make candles from crayons helped you create wonderful candles of your own. Making candles from crayons is pretty basic; it just takes a bit of care and a little bit of patience before you have colorful candles of which you can be proud.

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