Time for some "new" crayons!

Almost one year ago, I started this blog. One of my first posts showcased my first attempt at recycling crayon nubs and turning them into new crayons. It sure was a fun experiment, and many children reaped the rewards. I wanted to try it again this year for Valentine's day gifts for my students, as well as for Anastasia to share with her classmates. The heart-shaped mold makes them perfect Valentine's Day gifts.

I find that it's easiest, when using the silicone mold, to push the crayons out while the mold is still just a touch warm. Getting the crayons out without breaking is the hardest part for me! At least one crayon in every batch cracks in half while I'm trying to get it to break free from the mold.

Because it's so frustrating to lose one of a small number of crayons after waiting 20 minutes for them to "cook", and then another 20 or so for them to cool..., I want to try a new "recipe" that I discovered in one of my Christmas gifts, Make it Fast, Cook it Slow. This requires a metal mold. So, when I find one at a thrift store or garage sale (keeping true to my commitment to not buy anything new!), I will update this post and let you know how it works out!

Lemon Oil

I had a great experience with lemon oil today.

A couple nights ago, Anastasia decided that it would be nice to color on her baby doll's face with a red crayon. A couple months ago, she thought a red crayon mark would be a nice gift to leave on mama and daddy's bathroom floor. So...

Today, it occurred to me that essential oils are able to dissolve petrochemicals (I don't know how, but there is a fun experiment you can try with a Styrofoam cup and a drop of essential oil) and lemon is used as a cleaning agent in a lot of home recipes. I put a single drop of my lemon essential oil on a cloth rag and starting rubbing baby doll's face... The crayon came off instantly. Cool! I remembered the crayon on the linoleum and marched in there with the same drop of oil on the same rag and rubbed it off instantly as well. I then started looking for crayon and pen marks elsewhere in the house and used my same rag to eliminate them as well. Cleaning without effort.... that's what I'm good at!

Later in the afternoon, I used lemon oil to dress a wound on my finger (ironically, I sliced my finger on a thorn of our lemon tree). You would think that lemon oil would be the last thing that you would want to put on an open wound, but it is actually cold-pressed from the rind and is pH neutral. My finger feels wonderful, and smells yummy, too.

There are a ton of other uses for lemon oil--like putting a couple drops into a pitcher of water for a refreshing, good-for-you drink--but, these are the ways I used it today. It really is an "everyday oil"--a good one to have on hand for every day use.

For more information on, or to get your own bottle of, lemon oil you can search my web site.

Anastasia's Art Table

This was a Christmas gift from Jason and me. I must confess that Jason did most of the hard work. The idea for the crayon holder was mine, but he spiffed it up into a multi-level holder that I had not envisioned. He also devised a way to have plastic tubs slide out from under the table, so that paper and paints have a place to live out of view. Nice.

I got the inspiration for this gift from shiso mama--another mother who crafts to keep her sanity. You should check out her blog to see her version of the art table. Our table parts also came from Ikea, but we chose a smaller red table top to match the living room. I liked the idea of curved edges, as Anastasia tends to run without looking. This makes the paper rolling a bit more difficult, but she doesn't mind asking us for help with that.

Linked up at:

She's crafty!

Long ago, my brother-in-law sent me a link to a crafty mother's blog. Why he came upon it, I do not know. But, I am glad that he did. I check out Zakka Life frequently. Not only is she a talented lady who also enjoys knitting for her kiddos, but she also lives in Hawaii and her blog reminds me of good times I've spent there. Ah.

More recently, my sister sent a link to amazing mae, another crafty mother. I immediately (I cannot stress how quickly this actually happened) tried her tutorial for making swirly heart crayons out of tiny crayon nubs and rubbery ice cube trays. I used trays I already had from Ikea. The result is beautiful color-swirled crayons that are now useful again, and loved by children. For me, it was easier to remove the crayons from the molds while they were still just a touch warm.I also made these as Valentine gifts for my students. After telling them not to eat them, it was exciting to see fifth graders enjoy the feel and smell of a "new" crayon and appreciate that it was a handmade gift. It was easy to find enough crayon nubs from my classroom crayon tub, as the kids always pass over the tiny bits in search of bigger, whole crayons. So, now I have a little box in the classroom dedicated to crayon nubs. The kids are now very aware of filling the box, rather than throwing crayon bits on the floor or in the garbage can. In the future, as I find new ice cube tray shapes, it will be a great way to create fun, "new" supplies for the classroom.

Most crayons are made from petroleum. Yuck. Petroleum is a non-renewable resource, takes many many years to biodegrade, and is not a happy thing to find lingering in your water supply. Crayon nubs may seem small, but if they stack up in our landfills, that is not a good thing. Why not turn them into a "new" product and keep them out of the landfill altogether? Recycling at it's best!

*Side note: My favorite brand of crayon, which I buy for my daughter to use, is Stockmar. It is a German brand, made of beeswax. Not only am I keeping petrochemicals away from her young skin, but she also colors among the joyous smell of beeswax.... Yum. Petrochemicals are known as possible carcinogens and endocrine disrupters. All the more reason to look for soy- or beeswax-based crayons for our children.