Bring fall colors inside with fun crayon melts that are a fun child's activity. Be sure to help and keep children safe from the hot iron.
Prepare to Make a Crayon Melt
Find a surface (table or ironing board) with access to electricity to work at. Cover the surface safely for ironing. A layer of towels can protect a table for safe ironing.
Gather supplies needed
- Old crayons in colors of autumn leaves (brown, yellow, orange, red, purple, green)
- Brown paper (or a paper bag)
- Scissors
- Iron
- Stapler and staples
- Piece of yarn or ribbon
- Heat resistant waxed paper
- Colored card stock
Shave or crush the crayons, keeping colors separated. Children can create the shavings with a small hand held pencil sharpener. An adult can scrape the crayons with a vegetable peeler. Place the colored bits in small containers or baggies.
Place a large piece of brown paper on surface to be used. This will keep waxed paper from sticking to surface or colors from bleeding onto surface.
Create the Background
Tear or cut a sheet of waxed paper several inches long. Cut a background from the brown paper. Try cutting a tree trunk or two, or a windy road that narrows at one end. Place the cutout on the center of the waxed paper.
Add Colors and Create the Crayon Melt Art
A few more steps will complete the design:
- Sprinkle the fall colors on the waxed paper, over the background cutout. This creates the colorful leaves on the trees or a scene of driving through a scenic area of fall foliage.
- Cut or tear a second piece of waxed paper the same size as the original one.
- Cover scene with second sheet of waxed paper.
- Cover the waxed and paper bag layers with another large piece of a paper bag.
- Turn on iron and gently press over all layers. The colors will melt and swirl together.
- Let artwork cool. Trim edges even.
Make a Top and Hanger for Crayon Melt Artwork
Cut a piece of colored card stock the width of the artwork. Fold card stock in half and slide top of picture inside folded paper. Staple folded paper closed with waxed paper wedged in. Punch two holes, evenly spaced a few inches from the side edges. String yarn or ribbon through the holes to form a hanger.
Variations for More Crayon Melt Artwork
Think of other backgrounds and scenes to create autumn crafts:
- Use mostly green with little bits of red to form apple tree pictures
- Make piles of leaves, white clouds in the sky, and add paper rakes and stick figures
- Make golden fields with circles of orange for a pumpkin patch
- Cut out paper clouds and a sun and make mountains of colors below the skyline
- Make a page of melted colors and cut out leaf shapes after melting. Add chenille stems and set colored 3-D leaves in a vase
- Make two colored trees the same size. Cut out the shapes. Staple together along center of tree trunk to make a 3D tree.
Enjoy using fall crayon shavings and an iron to make colorful autumn crayon melt designs. Then decorate the home with these artful creations.
If your child enjoys autumn trees, check out more activities with trees.
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