If you have been on Pinterest at all, you've probably seen some version of this project: a canvas covered in melted crayons. It is all over the boards! The original (pictured at left) was from a seller on Etsy. Well, the crafter in me could not justify paying for something I could easily reproduce myself, so I headed out to Michaels and bought a canvas (as a preschool teacher, I had plenty of crayons already on hand).
I spent an afternoon arranging, gluing, and finally melting the crayons until I got a look I liked.
And you know what? Besides being fun and crafty, it was oddly therapeutic! I mean, how often do you get to melt crayons? I felt a little like a rebel, destroying something that had forever been a symbol of a new start, endless creativity, and the rules of school. Plus, that 'new crayon' smell you get a whiff of when you open the box? Yeah, it's magnified when you melt them. My craft area smelled like the most basic form of creativity for hours!
I spent an afternoon arranging, gluing, and finally melting the crayons until I got a look I liked.
And you know what? Besides being fun and crafty, it was oddly therapeutic! I mean, how often do you get to melt crayons? I felt a little like a rebel, destroying something that had forever been a symbol of a new start, endless creativity, and the rules of school. Plus, that 'new crayon' smell you get a whiff of when you open the box? Yeah, it's magnified when you melt them. My craft area smelled like the most basic form of creativity for hours!
So this is what mine ended up looking like:
I was in love! I could not wait to bring it to work and hang it in my classroom! Turns out, the best way to hang these is with those 3M velcro strips. Works really well!
I got so many compliments when people walked into my room - it was a definite hit!
In fact, it was so popular, that a member of our parent advisory asked if I would make one and donate it to their yearly fundraiser for the school.
Of course I would!
However, the year got away from me and as the fundraiser grew closer, I still hadn't made another one. So, I decided to donate my original. It saddened me to give away my creation, but I knew that another one was just a relaxing afternoon of crafting away.
I was in love! I could not wait to bring it to work and hang it in my classroom! Turns out, the best way to hang these is with those 3M velcro strips. Works really well!
I got so many compliments when people walked into my room - it was a definite hit!
In fact, it was so popular, that a member of our parent advisory asked if I would make one and donate it to their yearly fundraiser for the school.
Of course I would!
However, the year got away from me and as the fundraiser grew closer, I still hadn't made another one. So, I decided to donate my original. It saddened me to give away my creation, but I knew that another one was just a relaxing afternoon of crafting away.
Since then, I have made three more canvases. Two for a friend of mine for her kids' birthdays. And one as a commission from a parent at school.
Sadly, I have not had the time (ok, that's a lie...) uhh... motivation to make another one for myself. I will have to make one before the school year starts so I can once again have it hanging in my room as a reminder of the simple creativity a set of crayons can produce.
I am thinking of making some to sell on Etsy myself. Or maybe sell at school to fellow teachers or parents. What color combos would be good? I think the classic rainbow is nice, but should I also make some pink/purple 'girly' ones and blue/green 'boy' ones? would black/white/gray be neat? What about earthy green/brown/yellow? What do you think? And how much would you pay? Let me know!
I am thinking of making some to sell on Etsy myself. Or maybe sell at school to fellow teachers or parents. What color combos would be good? I think the classic rainbow is nice, but should I also make some pink/purple 'girly' ones and blue/green 'boy' ones? would black/white/gray be neat? What about earthy green/brown/yellow? What do you think? And how much would you pay? Let me know!
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