We love doing art projects at home, and I really encourage my kids to get involved too. Just like with our food and personal care products, I aim to give my kids art supplies that are as natural as possible. Here’s how you can make crayons that are safe and fun.
While my older kids now enjoy sketching and painting, natural crayons were a big hit when they were younger, and my youngest still likes using them for coloring books. That’s why I enjoy making DIY art supplies, like homemade, edible finger paint and gluten-free play dough. These homemade crayons are another fantastic option, especially since kids sometimes put them in their mouths.
Most tutorials online are about recycling old crayons. They involve taking old crayons, removing the wrappers, breaking them up, and placing the pieces into silicone molds. By mixing up different colors, you can create beautiful rainbow crayons. Although you can reuse Crayola crayons this way, I prefer making new crayons from natural ingredients, as it’s such a fun project.
Despite our love for art, many art supplies out there contain toxins, including crayons. While labeled as non-toxic, some colors have been found to contain lead or asbestos, particularly off-brand or imported ones. Even in small amounts, these are above the FDA allowed limits for food. Since kids often think crayons are a snack, I like art supplies that are safe enough to eat.
Making crayons from scratch isn’t as simple as just using beeswax and food coloring. The trick is using a blend of cocoa butter (or tallow), fruit and vegetable pigments, and carnauba wax. Carnauba wax comes from Brazilian palm trees and is similar to beeswax but holds color better. While beeswax crayons take longer to cool and can get a white layer on the outside, carnauba wax prevents that. Either way, these crayons are excellent for little hands developing fine motor skills. The yellow, orange, and brown are smooth like store-bought ones, while pink and green are slightly less smooth but still very usable.
You can make these crayons into fun shapes for party favors or gifts for occasions like Valentine’s Day. Use molds for hearts, dinosaurs, legos, or robots, depending on what your kids like. Just keep in mind, when using beetroot for pink crayons, some bits don’t mix well with the wax. Avoid pouring the residue at the bottom into your mold, as it can make your crayons gritty. Similarly, spices like annatto, cayenne, and paprika might settle unevenly, but they still work fine.
Have you ever tried making your own art supplies? What colors would you choose to start with? Let me know!
