Pass the White Crayon, Please!

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How often do you think outside of the box?  I do often and sometimes it gets me into trouble.  This time I continued thinking outside of the box until a got the perfect melted crayon Christmas tree. 

Melted Crayon Tree

I’ve learned three things lately.  

  • There are huge price differences in crayons.  
  • You have to buy at least a 24 count box of crayons to get a white crayon.  
  • The paper around crayons was easy to remove when I was seven.

I had an idea for a project and needed at least 7 white crayons.  I destroyed the one and a half white crayons in my cigar box trying to figure out this project.  

I finally got it to work!!!  Now, the ideas are endless.

Melted Crayon Christmas Tree

Melted Crayon Tree

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I shared my “LIVE” demo that “melted” and didn’t work on the last Country Design Keeping post.

I had remembered making melted crayons placemats using an iron and chopped up crayons when I was young.  My first thought was I could melt crayons into a basic shape, like a triangle onto a piece of burlap.  If you see the video…it didn’t work.

Next live demo…test the technique first!

I did figure the project out.  I bought the last 24 count box in one store for 1.99.  Then bought six 24 count boxes in another store for .49 each.

List of Materials and Tools

Sharp chopping butcher knife
A piece of wood to chop on
White Crayons – Amazon link {I wanted a white tree 12 inches tall}  7 crayons regular size worked
Note:  I have now found boxes of one color crayons on Amazon.
Piece of burlap
A piece of scrap wood about 1 to 2 inches larger than burlap {glued two scrap pieces together}
Craft glue
Glitter
Paint for wood {I used white}
Piece of foil
Craft heat gun {I have one like this} -Amazon Link

Here are the steps

Chopping crayons for a melted Christmas tree diy idea. | countrydesignstyle.com

Remove the paper from the crayons.  I suggest finding a 7-year-old for this task! 🙂

Chop up the crayons.  I chopped them like carrots.  Holding the tip of the knife down on the board and moving the handle up and down.

Chop until about the size of oatmeal.

melted-crayon-christmas-tree | countrydesignstyle.com 5

Lay the burlap on the foil.

Sprinkle the crayon on the burlap in a long triangle shape.  I’ve learned to move the larger pieces aside and sprinkle the smaller pieces first then add the larger chunks.  This seems to help the melted crayons to stick to the burlap.  If any areas lift after cooled a dollop of glue helps.

How long does it take to melt a crayon with a hair dryer?

It can take between 45 seconds to 2 minutes according to the power and heat of the hair dryer.  Using a craft heat gun takes from seconds to about 1 minute according to the how close the heat gun is to the crayons.  I didn’t use the hair dryer because of the crayons bits all over the table and floor!

melted-crayon-christmas-tree | countrydesignstyle.com 6

Using the craft heat gun about 8 to 10 inches above the crayon tree, s~l~o~w~l~y move the gun over the whole tree.  Be patient and go slow.  When the crayon melts it melts fast!!!  I like to stop at the look above.  Too much more and it melts down flat.  I like a bumpy “snow” covered tree. 🙂

The heat gun may blow pieces.  I just used the tip of a paintbrush to move back.  That is why a hair dryer would be a challenge to use.  Even on low, the dryer blows crayons bits all over the room.  I learned this too!

melted-crayon-christmas-tree | countrydesignstyle.com 7

Here’s a close up of the melt.

The star on top

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I cut out a star from scrap card stock.  Then painted in the star with craft glue and sprinkle glitter.

Melted crayon Christmas Tree DIY on burlap with glitter star mounted on chalky painted board with distressed edges. | countrydesignstyle.com

I painted my board with white chalk type paint.  Then sanded the edges to distress a little.  Then used the craft glue to mount the burlap to the board.

Melted Crayon Tree

Next try is melting the crayon onto wood.

Love Updated Related Posts

Another thing I learned…a blow dryer can toss a piece of crayon 11 1/2 feet across the room.

 

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33 Comments

  1. Hello! Just discovered your page and tried the melted crayon tree – so fun! I did a tree on a small burlap canvas for practice. Will be doing larger canvases with my three married daughters when we all gather for the Thanksgiving holiday this year! Ordered a 50 count box of white crayons from Amazon as suggested! Found that slicing wrappers with a box cutter, down the length of the crayon, makes for easy removal of the papers! I appreciate all the little tips for success that you gave! Looking forward to sharing this craft with my daughters and to seeing the other crafts you do! Thank you!

  2. I love this but what I love most is your admission of things that didn’t go according to plan. I read all these post from you “professionals” and begin to think I’m the only one with 10 thumbs! Now! Off to search for crayons. Betting even I can have this ready for Christmas 2016. -;)

    1. Thank you so much Susan for visiting. I always share what along with what doesn’t work! I’m a bit hardheaded and when something doesn’t work I keep trying until I find a way to make it work and get the look I want. And I share the road that got me there! Have a wonderful Christmas!

    1. Lori, I would try an oven and here’s why. First oven temps vary. More important is timing. The crayons go from just starting to melt to a melted mess in seconds. I had a few souping messes in the beginning. 😕

  4. Love this idea and plan to try it. You may not know but you can order boxes of white only crayons online. Several sites offer them. Most are 12 packs but describe them as large crayons. They average around $5.00 for a box of 12.

  5. I love the primitive simplicity (is that redundant?) of the look. It would look gorgeous on my mantel. You mention the price difference in the crayons you bought. Can you tell us where you found them for only 49 cents?

    1. Ronda, the 49 cent box was at walmart and the cheaper brand. They work just as well. I also have found out Amazon sells boxes of crayons by single color. I just bought two boxes of white. 🙂

  6. I absolutely love this!!! And can’t wait to make several for gifts. Would you need to use the Crayola crayons or would the cheaper crayons work just as well. Thanks for the advice and praying you have a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas!

  9. Wow! That really looks purty! I had wanted to make some burlap pillows with white stenciled snowflakes on them last year, but ran out of time. This would look terrif for a Christmas decorating theme, doncha think?! I better get busy…..thanks for the idea and instructions!

    1. Denise, thank you! Snowflakes! Great idea! If you try melted snowflakes {heh, heh} melted snowflakes….anyway, make sure the melted crayons are on a flat surface. When my crayons cooled the wax will crack because I left them lumpy. It would be awesome to have stenciled snowflakes on pillows and wall hanging melted crayon snowflakes. I would love to see pictures!!

  11. i watched the failed attempt and sorry but it made me giggle but i also knew you would figure it out, my 2 and 3 yr. old grandsons can get the paper off in 2.3 seconds ha ha, i will try to raid their crayon stash as i love this white tree xx

  13. I like this. I can also imagine a green tree with colored ornaments. Does sound like the melting possibilities are endless. Is it possible to set the burlap on fire with the heat gun?

    1. Carla, You could make green tree and then hold the heat gun to the tip of a crayon to melt or soften just enough to touch the green in areas to add ornaments. Hummmm!!! First anything is possible, but I think you would have to try to burn the burlap. The heat gun doesn’t get too hot. Plus I kept the heat gun about 8 to 10 inches up and allow the crayon to melt slowly. If you try a green tree with ornaments send me a picture! It’s easy by clicking “share your project” over on the left side. Thanks!

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